James Beard Award winning chef Gale Gand is the latest Chicago restaurateur to enter the burgeoning hemp & cannabis market.

Chef Gand will be a strategic advisor for jeng, the alcohol-free, CBD-infused, ready-to-drink cocktail company. The company recently entered the Chicago market.

"The beverage industry is changing. People want more options, whether it's alcohol-free, hemp-infused, or ready-to-drink," said Chef Gand. "jeng hits all three of these trends at once."

jeng's lineup of drinks replicate classic cocktails like Moscow mule, paloma, and gin & tonic. Instead of alcohol, jeng incorporates 11 milligrams of CBD to create a non-intoxicating cocktail experience.

"Chicago is a drinking town. We love our beer, we love our whiskey and wine. And with jeng, Chicagoans are going to love their hemp cocktails, as well," said Gand.
 
Chef Gand already has been advising the company on expansion in Chicago and consulting on product development. She was introduced to the company by Christopher Lackner, a long-time friend and company co-founder.

"Doors seem to open more easily when you say Chef Gand is on your team," said Lackner. "It seems like everywhere we go, there's someone who's worked with her - or wants to work with her."

jeng can be found on the menu of several new and innovative restaurant concepts, including The Pomeroy in Winnetka, a French bistro that opened in September; Spirit Elephant, a vegan restaurant in Winnetka; and Double Clutch, an Evanston brewery that opened in November.

"It may seem strange that an alcohol-free cocktail would be on the menu at a brewery, or that a CBD drink would be featured at a Winnetka bistro, but that's the direction the industry is heading," said Gand. "People want a cocktail experience but they don't want to be bogged down by the booze."

The Food Institute recently reported that the "CBD beverage market is poised for aggressive expansion" in coming years . According to a 2019 study by Nielsen, around one in two Americans are trying to reduce their alcohol consumption. Beverage Industry Enthusiast recently reported that "cannabis beverages and non-alcoholic beverages are the fastest growing sectors of the drinks market, with sales rising from $67.8 million in 2019 to $95.2 million in 2020."

About Chef Gand
Chef Gale Gand is a nationally acclaimed pastry chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, television personality, teacher, entrepreneur, and mother. Chef Gand has been recognized as Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year by The James Beard Foundation and by Bon Appetite magazine and has been inducted into the Chicago Chefs Hall of Fame. More at galegand.com.

About jeng, LLC
Founded in 2019 by John Enghauser and Christopher Lackner, jeng LLC makes premium alcohol-free, hemp-infused, ready-to-drink cocktails for the world to enjoy. jeng is available in New York and Chicago, and online at sipjeng.com.