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Courtesy of Bayou City Hemp Company

A Houston-based cannabis company has formalized its ongoing relationship with one of the city’s most popular breweries. Bayou City Hemp Company announced that it has purchased 8th Wonder Brewery, Distillery, and Cannabis.

The acquisition deepens a relationship that dates back to 2021, when 8th Wonder and Bayou City Hemp partnered to create Wonder Water, a non-alcoholic beverage available with either CBD or Delta-8 that became the top-selling to-go product at 8th Wonder.

Going forward, the combined company aims to capture a healthy share of the Texas market for adult beverages by offering a full lineup of beer, spirits, and cannabis-infused drinks.

Bayou City Hemp Co 8th Wonder logos

Courtesy of Bayou City Hemp Company

Bayou City Hemp and 8th Wonder have teamed up.

“Our commitment to provide quality products and trusted brands to consumers is strengthened with 8th Wonder, who has been a Texas staple in craft beer and spirits for over a decade,” Bayou City CEO Benjamin Meggs said in a statement. “We look forward to growing market share and distribution to the entire portfolio of products through expanded resources and combined expertise. This is not merely an acquisition; it is a bold declaration of our intent to lead and innovate in the heart of Texas.”

The combined company aims to utilize 8th Wonder’s existing distribution channels to get its products onto as many store shelves as possible, including stores such as H-E-B, Walmart, Kroger, Total Wine, and Spec’s. A capital infusion from Bayou City Hemp will focus on marketing and promotion, helping the company to increase excitement for and awareness of the brand.

“Significant capital will be infused to build out the necessary infrastructure,” Meggs said in response to CultureMap’s request for comment about the combined company’s plans. “This infrastructure will enhance our operational capabilities positioning Bayou City to enter new emerging beverage categories such as Cannabis, NA Beer, and RTD Spirits [ready-to-drink] among others.”

While all those changes will mostly happen behind the scenes, customers will notice upgrades to the current 8th Wonder brewery, taproom, distillery, and beer garden to match the brand’s new look.

Founded in 2011, 8th Wonder Brewery evolved out of the Eatsie Boys food truck. Branded with a nostalgic affection for Houston, it developed a following for beers such as Dome Faux’m (cream ale), Rocket Fuel (Vietnamese coffee porter), and Haterade (gose). Over time, it expanded into spirts with a distillery and cannabis with a dispensary.

Bayou City Hemp Company opened in 2019. It produces edibles, vapes, additives, and seltzers that aim to meet the growing consumer demand for cannabis-based products.

Going forward, Meggs will remain in his role as CEO where he’ll be joined by Bayou City Hemp’s existing chief business officer, Jeromy Sherman, CFO Karen Trotter, chief revenue officer Joel Canada, and chief innovation officer Stephen Horton. 8th Wonder co-founder Ryan Soroka will serve as chief brand and marketing officer, while 8th Wonder co-founder and brewmaster Aaron Corsi will become COO.

“From day one at 8th Wonder, our goal was to build a hundred-year company,” Soroka added. “This transaction will provide the leadership and resources needed to achieve that dream. We look forward to a refreshed and revitalized 8th Wonder as we move forward with Bayou City Hemp into the exciting future of the beverage and cannabis industries.”

Photo courtesy of Bayou City Hemp Company

2 budding Houston cannabis companies pop open new THC-infused seltzers soon to hit Texas shelves

make mine a thc

Since the rise of low THC and CBD products in Texas, we've nearly seen it all. Gummies, chocolate, candy, baked goods, and more. But now, two Houston companies have developed the next hottest (or should we say coolest?) product on the market: cannabis-infused seltzers. And now they'll be distributed all across the state.

Bayou City Hemp Company (BCHC) has teamed up with award-winning 8th Wonder Brewery, Distillery, and Cannabis to manufacture these nonalcoholic beverages for statewide distribution. They have previously worked together since 2021 to pioneer the first-ever hemp-infused seltzer in the state.

Their latest drinks will be shared throughout Texas by Flood Distribution, in a huge milestone for the beverage and cannabis industries. In a press release, Flood Distribution co-founder Kyle White stated "now" is the time to get into the ever-expanding industry.

"THC-infused beverages are safe, delicious, and offer clients the opportunity to be at the forefront of this industry and steer the direction it will head in the future," White said.

In addition to BCHC's THC-infused ranch water and paloma seltzers, a few of the beverages that will be available all throughout Texas include 8th Wonder's Trillionaire, Lil Bit, and Wonder Water. Other offerings include drinks that have been already established in other areas of the country, such as Happi, Good Feels, Drippy, and more.

“It’s a huge milestone for Happi to not only become the first national cannabis beverage brand with local distribution in Texas, but to also launch our unique functional seltzers Happi Glow and Happi Nightcap with this team,” said Lisa Hurwitz, Happi president and cofounder. “Collaborating with these partners to locally produce Happi really makes us feel at home in Texas.”

To ensure the beverages are compliant with Texas law, they have been formulated using BCHC's proprietary technology with hemp-derived Delta 8 and Delta 9 THC.

BCHC CIO Stephen Horton explained the innovations by the company's Houston-based research and development lab have "enabled [them] to to develop some of the most delicious and effective" beverages.

“At Bayou City Hemp Company, we have the expertise to formulate a wide range of functional and flavorful beverages that meet the needs and preferences of today’s discerning consumers,” said Horton.

Bars, restaurants, liquor stores, and many other marketplaces in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio will soon see these seltzers on their menus and store shelves in May.

Photos courtesy of 8th Wonder

Buzzy EaDo brewery fires up new cannabis dispensary and lounge

more h-town hemp

A popular Houston brewery and distillery has expanded its partnership with one of the city's foremost producers of hemp-based products by launching a new dispensary. 8th Wonder Cannabis will be a source for a wide range of products, including beverages, gummies, edibles, and more.

Located within 8th Wonder Distillery in EaDo (2201 Dallas St.), 8th Wonder Cannabis will serve as a dispensary and consumption lounge. Scheduled to begin a soft opening October 17, the facility aims to serve both experienced cannabis users as well as the "canna-curious," those who are still adjusting to the world of legal hemp-based products such as CBD and Delta-8 THC. It will sell products that 8th Wonder produces in partnership with Bayou City Hemp as well as those produced by brands such as Third Coast Blends, Mixer Elixir, and Leaf Life Wellness.

8th Wonder Cannabis deepens the partnership that began last year when 8th Wonder Brewing teamed up with Bayou City Hemp to produce Wonder Water, a non-alcoholic beverage available with either CBD or Delta-8 that has become the top-selling to-go product at 8th Wonder. Since then, 8th Wonder has expanded its line with different seltzers including Trillionaire, a watermelon-flavored, Delta-8 beverage produced in collaboration with Houston hip hop legend Bun B.


“We firmly believe the future of the hospitality industry will feature cannabis quite extensively,” 8th Wonder president and co-founder Ryan Soroka said in a statement. “As stewards of the cannabis industry in Texas, Bayou City Hemp’s emphasis on innovation, quality, and collaboration not only produces the best products, but helps normalize cannabis in a safe and trusted way.”

Part of that trust comes from the use of both in-house and third-party laboratory analysis to ensure that the products contain what only as much CBD or THC as they are advertised to. In addition, 8th Wonder only sells its products to people who are 21 or older.

Hemp-based products became legal in Texas with the passage of House Bill 1325, a law that followed a 2018 federal law that legalized hemp but kept marijuana legal. To qualify, a product must have less than 0.3-percent THC. Whether the Texas Department of State Health Services has the authority to ban Delta-8 is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit, the Texas Tribune reports.

Soroka acknowledges that 8th Wonder Cannabis would include marijuana products if they ever become legal in Texas. Polls show support for such a move, and gubernatorial Beto O'Rourke has made that part of his campaign platform.

"Some people still want to let loose and socialize as beer and spirits allow many people to do. Hemp and "cannabis products are also an option for people," Soroka tells CultureMap. "We want this to be done in a way that hopefully will include marijuana in the end game. Right now, the name of the game is hemp, and we’re going to continue in that path."

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Mega-celebrity photographer of Beyoncé's all-time favorite portrait holds court in Houston to honor Queen Bey

royal portraits

Only a select few humans — ever — have been photographed as often as pop culture’s undisputed queen, Beyoncé, over her illustrious, 26-year career. Even at her young age, Houston’s queen possesses a singular trait that elevates her above even the most apex celebrities: immortality.

Just how do the ultra-famous unlock the loftiest achievement of immortality? For many, it’s often through a single, transcendent photograph, which can transform a performer into an icon — and rocket a mere mortal into immortal status. And few photographers on the planet can bestow immortality on the globally famous like A-list artisan Markus Klinko.

To celebrate Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour homecoming — and his now legendary photos of her over the years — Klinko will meet fans from 1 pm to 3 pm Saturday, September 23 at Tootsies for a showcase of some of his most famed works — including the ultra-rare Beyoncé “Diamond Dust” series, on view at Nicole Longnecker Gallery.

A statuesque, towering presence (he’s six-foot-four) with chiseled features and a flair for fashion, the Swiss-born Klinko looks every part a celeb himself. That star quality has no doubt helped him break the ice when photographing superstars like our Beyoncé, David Bowie, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Anne Hathaway, Kate Winslet, Naomi Campbell, and Iman — to name a few. Not a bad resume for a former professional classical harp soloist who — sort of amazingly — only fell into photography after a hand injury (more on that later).

Before she became a one-word brand, Beyoncé Knowles was just 22 when she experienced Klinko’s wizardry firsthand in 2003. Already drawing It Girl attention as a member of Destiny’s Child, the young Houstonian had met Klinko during a Destiny’s Child photo shoot for Vibe magazine in 2000. With his trademark, sixth-sense for superstardom, Klinko pointed to Beyoncé while she was lounging with the group and told her mother, Tina Knowles, “Her, she’s going to be huge.” Tina’s response: “We know.”

Three years later, Sony reunited Beyoncé and Klinko to shoot the cover of Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé’s now legendary 2003 debut solo album. The match, now, seems predestined: both Beyoncé and Knowles were in the early stages of their careers. Beyoncé and Klinko vibed immediately, and in a simple snap of his Fuji camera, Klinko shot the stunning and shimmering photo that Queen Bey recently told French newspaper Le Figaro is her most favorite of any portrait taken of her.

Staying true to his organic, in-the-moment approach, Klinko flawlessly captured Beyoncé’s effortless pose in her now-famed diamond top and created one of music’s most iconic celebrity photos and yes, helped cement Beyoncé’s immortal status. And it only cost him his pants. (More on that later, too.)

CultureMap caught up with Klinko ahead of his Houston appearance and fresh off the opening of his latest installation: His celebrity images are on display at the legendary Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in, naturally, the vaunted Elvis Presley Suite. Perfect timing, then, for Klinko to star as a cover model in the familiar Tootsies window displays.

CultureMap: Congratulations on landing the Tootsies window display. It looks gorgeous.

Markus Klinko: Oh yeah, it’s spectacular, isn’t it?

CM: Quite! So, what’s it like seeing yourself as one of the main features of an exhibit — as opposed to being behind the camera?

MK: You know, I’ve never been in the window of a major fashion department store, so this is pretty fun.

CM: Never in the window, but you’ve certainly been the focal point of attention as an acclaimed harpist.

MK: Yes, I started my life on the ‘other’ side, and as you say, as a classical concert harpist. I was signed to EMI Classics and represented by Colombia Artists and traveling around the world making recordings. I was on television very often and on magazine covers and all that throughout my 20s and early 30s — everything from Italian Vogue and Vanity Fair and Harper’s Bazaar and GQ and all those fashion magazines for which I later worked as a photographer. So it’s not completely. new. But this is sort of a different twist.

CM: You clearly had an understanding of being in the spotlight, and the butterflies-in-the-stomach pressure to put on a great performance and give of yourself to an audience. Did that experience help you relate to your celebrity performer subjects in a way that just maybe a Mark Seliger or an Annie Leibovitz — not disparaging either — could not? Do you have a window into these performers’ worlds where they relate to you, and you to them?

MK: You know, that’s an amazing question and I’m glad you’re asking me this.

I switched from my classical music career, which was very successful at that time, to becoming a photographer at 33 under dramatic circumstances. It was tragic; basically a hand injury forced me to abandon my career at the height of my success in the summer of 1994.

I was forced to cancel recording sessions, touring engagements and all of that. I had no clue where my income would be coming from, so it was not like the happiest moment in my life. It was actually sort of a panic-stricken time.

CM: And then came the moment.

MK: Yes, I had this epiphany that I will become a fashion photographer, actually had no intention at all to ever become a celebrity photographer. In the beginning of my photo career, I was 100-percent interested only in shooting models — mainly female models to be honest. I would have liked to be a Playboy magazine photographer or something.

So in other words, I just wanted to have fun. It was the last thought on my mind to help other musicians succeed.

CM: You almost seem like you were dragged into fashion and celebrity photography.

MK: A few years into my photo career, around 1999, I was still completely focused on shooting models, models, models. I wasconfronted with proposals from record labels and magazines to shoot covers for them. And I distinctly remember telling my agent at the time that I was not interested and that why would I shoot musicians, when I could just shoot models who are more beautiful in general. And that was that.

CM: And how did that go over?

MK: At some point my agent picked up the phone and screamed at me and said, ‘Markus, you’re an idiot! We have record companies wanting to pay you $100,000 a day and you would rather shoot some girl.’ And I said, ‘Okay, fine, I’ll try it.’ My first record cover shoot was Vitamin C; at that moment she had the biggest hit of the year.

I asked my friends from Interview magazine to style it and she was lovely and I had no problem with it. But about a month later, I got up in the morning and I went to the gym. As I walked through the streets of New York, there were thousands and thousands of posters of Vitamin. I saw my image of Vitamin C a million times on the way to the gym. And I was like, ‘Hmm, that’s not so bad.’

A couple of months later, GQ called me from the UK and wanted me to shoot these different celebrities. And I told GQ — it was very funny — I said under one condition, I’ll shoot the celebrity you want me to shoot, but I want you to let me shoot some nude girl for the centerfold of GQ. And they just said, ‘Okay, whatever you want.’ So I invented the GQ Pin Up 2000 and for a whole year as a reward of shooting some British pop star girl for them — who I couldn’t care less but whatever, I did it. But then I shot Little Kim and Molly Sims and a bunch of really big models and supermodels.

CM: And then you shoot the world’s biggest supermodel, Iman, for her book, which leads to shooting a rock god David Bowie — her husband — for his now-famous album cover [Heathens, 2002] in 2001. Talk about a word-of-mouth reference.

MK: By that time, I was already inundated with. requests from labels. I shot nonstop for different labels and then Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez. That all came as a reaction basically to that first celebrity shoot with Vitamin C, and I guess just my style. The way I shot models was very different from what was in fashion at the time. I just sort of did my own thing. And that really appealed to major advertising record covers, iconic photo shoots, big comeback shoots for artists like Mariah. Mariah really needed a big comeback shoot in 2005 when she launched The Emancipation of Mimi.

CM: Let’s go back to that magical moment in 2003 when you shot perhaps the most legendary photo of Beyoncé ever.

MK: Sony music called me and they said, 'Beyonce from Destiny’s Child is going solo and she requested you shoot her album cover. Apparently, you had worked with her before for Destiny’s Child and she wanted to only work with you for this.'

So then, Sony Music organized a phone call between me, Beyoncé, the Sony team, and her mom Tina [Knowles] who was styling it. Beyoncé on the phone mentioned specifically my photograph of Leticia Costa, the French supermodel and actor in the "Spider Web" shot. And she said she really loved that photo — She called it the Diamond Spider or something. And she said she would love something like that, but smaller on her. And to be honest, I had no idea what that meant, but I was just like, 'Okay.'

Fast forward to a week later when the photo shoot actually happened and they arrived in the morning. I noticed that there was this diamond top and I grabbed it and I went up to Beyoncé. I said, 'This is exactly what you were talking about. We could do this.' And then she said, 'Oh yeah, I was thinking about it, but my mom has these skirts and I don’t wanna wear those because it reminds me of a prom and I don’t wanna look like a prom on my album cover.'

And I said, 'Yeah, of course not. Let’s do it with denim.' And then Beyonce said, 'No, we don’t have any, we didn’t bring any denim.'

CM: And then...?

MK: And so I said, 'Oh, don’t worry, maybe you’ll fit into mine.' And she said, 'Oh, really? Can I try them?' And so that’s the story.

CM: I’m guessing you had another pair handy?

MK: Oh, sure, I just grabbed another pair from upstairs I had. You know, back then and until now, my favorite pair of jeans are always DNG — Dolce & Gabbana.

CM: I love the story of how she returned them to you.

MK: She brought them back a couple months later. She had dry cleaned them and she packed them into some sort silk paper thing and a ribbon. She brought him back and said, 'Please don’t sell them on eBay, ever.' And she laughed.

I thought that was really sweet and I just took them and I put them somewhere. This is crazy, but I’m actually talking to Botswana Diamond Dealers to fill up a bathtub at the Vegas suite and to put those Beyoncé jeans into the bling bathtub as a joke. You know, almost as a shrine.

CM: Markus, it certainly seems to me that right when you looked through the viewer and fired off that exposure, she went from Beyoncé Knowles from Houston, Texas to the immoral global brand all in one second.

MK: You are right, yes. Absolutely she did. I had a jolt in my, in my whole body when that moment happened. And I told her that right then as soon as I clicked that shot. I said, 'We got the cover, you’ll see.' There's alternate shots of that, which are all beautiful, and some of them will be in Houston.

CM: It seems you predicted her future while announcing her to the world. Is that fair to say?

MK: Well, the way I see it is with that image, I sort of anticipated who Beyoncé was going to become. I think that my job that day was to take a young girl from Houston, Texas, a member of an R&B group, and present to the world who she will be. And she would have become that regardless of whatever I did photographically, because she’s such an enormous, enormously talented musician and performer and icon. She’s a great actress. But, my opportunity was to showcase to the world quickly and immediately who she will be. And so that’s what I’m proud of.

CM: You have shot countless celebrity portraits — many the most memorable of said celebrity, like Britney Spears. How does it feel to hear that your 2003 shot is Queen Bey’s favorite of all time?

MK: The fact that Beyoncé is probably the biggest celebrity in the world today, and having photographed the most famous photo — of the most famous celebrity — is an honor that I take with great humility. I’m not saying that to show off — I’m saying that to thank God for the opportunity. I am glad that Beyoncé loves the photo so much. I’m glad that the world recognizes it as her most famous photo: It's been said many, many times that it is the most recognizable Beyoncé photo. So I'm very honored that people feel that way about it.

CM: What do you remember of the Beyoncé then, and the Beyoncé you've worked with since for other projects?

MK: I remember Beyoncé and being around her, seeing her as an extremely kind, very humble, very normal person. I’ve never felt any sort of diva behavior from her. Beyoncé was just really, really nice and normal. And she’s extremely hardworking, obviously extremely talented, not just with music and singing and acting, but also in the process of collaboration of a visual product such as these photographs I’ve done with her. She’s a very, very good collaborator.

There are people who are very famous, especially actors who sometimes, in front of the still camera, feel awkward. Sometimes comedians and actors need the movement, the momentum, the storytelling, the words in order to showcase their brilliance and their talent.

Not everyone is able in a 2/50th of a second to express all of that, but Beyoncé certainly has that incredible ability and I think that’s innate and subconscious and subliminal. She just knows where the light is coming from and she knows how to position it all in the most phenomenal way. And I guess I subliminally know how to catch it. So it’s really one of those very, very easy collaborations.

CM: Speaking of collaborations, you are able to crystallize a pop icon’s entire era in a single exposure unlike perhaps anyone I’ve ever seen. Did you know that Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, and Lizzo are all from Houston — they all grew up just a mere 30 minutes from each other.

MK: Wow, I did not know that.

CM: Yes, we’re home to three of the biggest female pop stars in the world. So I wonder: Megan Thee Stallion is truly in the midst of her moment. Is she someone you’d like to shoot next?

MK: Well, let me answer it this way...I hope that Megan reads your interview, because I absolutely love Megan and I would love to work with her — and they should call me. I love her.

CM: I would be remiss if I didn’t ask: What is your favorite Beyoncé song?

MK: Oh, I would say “Crazy In Love” is one of my favorites. There are obviously many, but I'm probably biased to that album. That's one of my proudest collaborations, so, of course, I’m biased. Can you blame me? [Laughs]

Courtesy of Markus Klinko

TKTK

Courtesy of Markus Klinko

TKTK

Courtesy of Markus Klinko

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Beyonc\u00e9 Dangerously in Love

Courtesy of Markus Klinko

Markus Klinko captured Beyoncé's favorite portrait in 2003 for her Dangerously in Love debut solo album.

Courtesy of Markus Klinko



TKTK

Countdown to Beyoncé: Trill Burgers shortens hours to serve massive NRG Stadium crowd

respect the beyhive

Since it opened in June, Trill Burgers has been unstoppable. Bun B’s burger joint has seen lines out the door, fed celebrities ranging from Drake to Mike Tyson, and caused literal traffic jams with its drive-thru.

But even a juggernaut like Trill Burgers knows better than to mess with the Beyhive. For this weekend only (September 23 and 24), the Montrose-area restaurant will only be open from 11 am to 2 pm. Operating with such limited hours will allow Trill Burgers to feed the sold out crowds flocking to NRG Stadium for Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour.

“We want to make sure that we have our stations fully stocked so that people don't miss this amazing show that she's bringing,” Bun said in a video posted to social media. “We know the Beyhive don't play and Trill Burgers don't play either.”

In order to ensure people get their burgers as quickly as possible, Trill Burgers is slimming down its menu to only serve beef burgers — sorry, vegans. In addition, it will impose a limit of two burgers per person.

Due to the stage setup, Trill Burgers will only operate two of its usual four stands. They are Sections 135 and 548.

Of course, CultureMap has you covered for everything related to this weekend’s concerts. Don’t miss our guides for what to wear, events celebrating Beyoncé, and the latest traffic and parking info.

Countdown to Beyoncé: Parking, closures, rideshares, and more for NRG Stadium

bey prepared

The countdown is on for Beyoncé's highly anticipated shows in Houston this weekend, and ABC13 has everything you need to know for an easy ride over to NRG Stadium to see Queen Bey.

This weekend's gridlock alert isn't like any other, as more traffic is anticipated than usual in the South Loop area towards the venue on both Saturday and Sunday.

Here's what you need to know:

Parking

Drivers, if you decide to park directly at NRG Stadium, know all lots will have $40 cashless parking.

Parking is available in the orange, red, maroon, blue, yellow, green and purple lots. ADA parking is available in all of the lots.

If you're getting a ride, you can get dropped off and picked up at the Yellow Lot. The entrance will be through Gate 16B off Main Street.

METRORail riders can take the Red Line from the Fannin South Lot, which has $20 parking, and get off at the Stadium Park/Astrodome Station exit.EMBED <>MORE VIDEOS

Ready to Renaissance? Here's what you should know before Queen Bey's Houston concerts.

SEE ALSO: Beyoncé's favorite things: 9 places star has stopped before in Houston

Traffic

But what about getting there on time?

If you're driving in from Fort Bend County or the southwest side, the Southwest Freeway will be closed at the West Loop, so you might want to avoid that.

All mainlanes will be closed starting Friday at 8 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m. You can use US-90 as your alternate route.

For those coming from the east side, including San Jacinto and all points beyond that along the East Freeway, avoid the East Loop altogether.

You'll see northbound and southbound closures between Market and Clinton Street from 9 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Sunday.

So, for Saturday night's concert, you can drive toward downtown and south on Highway 288 to catch the West Loop over to NRG Stadium.

If you plan to use METRO to head to NRG, they plan to put more of their trains in service about three hours before the start of Beyoncé's concerts each day.

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Continue reading this story on our news partner ABC13.