Your Guide to Hop Water: the Next Big Thing in Craft Drinks

If you're a fan of craft beers, you're probably familiar with the flavor and scent that hops add to your brews. However, have you heard of hop water?  

Compared with beer, it’s a relatively new addition. In recent years, it has become increasingly popular as a non-alcoholic drink choice on its own. Besides beverage businesses focused solely on creating hop water, craft breweries have taken on this non-alcoholic beverage.

Let me provide a quick refresher on hops before diving into the world of hop water.

What are hops?

Hops are the dried, cone-shaped flowers of the plant Humulus lupulus. This plant is grown widely around the world, and each region provides distinct flavors to their hops.

Adding both bitterness and aroma, hops are a key ingredient in beer making. Hops are typically added at various stages during the brewing process, depending on the type of beer and the desired flavor profile for the final product.

There are many different varieties of hops, each with their own unique flavor profile:

• For example, hops like galena hops provide more bitterness.
• Some like crystal hops provide more aroma.
• Others like citra hops are more well-balanced.

What do hops taste like?

The primary flavor found in all hops is varying degrees of bitterness. Hops are used to balance sweet or acidic flavors and give beer its classic heady taste. India Pale Ales (IPAs) in particular have a very hops-forward flavor profile.

Depending on what variety that’s used, hops can give the beer more of a pepper, pine, citrus, or tropical fruit flavor. Brewers typically combine multiple types of hops to create unique blends.

What is hop water?

Hop water is a mixture of carbonated water and hops that creates a flavorful, refreshing beverage.

Think of hop water as sparkling water’s beer-loving cousin – without all of the alcohol, calories, or carbs.

Does hop water taste like beer?

Depending on the brand of hop water, some varieties have a more pronounced hops taste while others have a more subtle hops essence.

Also, if you’re familiar with popular sparkling water drinks, there’s usually an original flavor and then different fruit varieties. This is also the case with hop water – you can come across hop water with fruit flavors like grapefruit, lime, and mango.

Is hop water the same as non-alcoholic beer?

While some might think that hop water is equivalent to non-alcoholic beer, that is not true. Non-alcoholic beers typically are made by removing alcohol at the end of the beer-making process.

On the other hand, hop water is more like a seltzer that has been infused with fresh hops or hops essence. No grains are used in this process, so the alcohol content will always be at zero percent. That's why hop water is closer to being a variation of sparkling water than a craft beer.

However, since the hop flavor is more akin to traditional beer than water, drinking hop water makes it a great non-alcoholic beer replacement.

What are the health benefits of hop water?

While there's no scientific evidence that proves that hop water is good for you, many people believe that hop water is a healthy alternative to regular beer. Some believe that consuming hops can help them cope with anxiety, sleep disorders, restlessness, symptoms of menopause, and many other conditions.

Certain brands of hop water may contain nootropics and adaptogens, which are supplements that claim to promote relaxation and improve cognitive function.

Where do you buy hop water?

You can purchase hop water online or in many stores across the United States. In the near future, we'll review some of the hop waters available, including what we like or don’t like about them and where you can purchase them.

Have you tasted hop water before? Log in and let us know your favorite brands in the comments!