Hydrate with hops – the mysterious hop water trend

One of the big surprises during a recent visit in Denver, Colorado was hop water. I had never heard of it. What even is hop water?

In April, I was lucky to be on the panel of judges at World Beer Cup in Louisville, Colorado. A few days before the judging started, I checked out some taprooms in RiNo (River North Art District) in Denver. To my surprise, I saw hop water mentioned on the big board at Ratio Beerworks. I had to try it, of course.

So, what is hop water? Basically, it’s sparkling water infused with hop flavour. Alcohol-free and calorie-free, hop water is described as refreshing, crisp and clean. A way for breweries to diversify their range, hop water is seen as an alternative to no and low alcohol beers, and the go-to for anyone who wants a splash of hops in their carbonated water.

Brewers use a dry-hopping technique in the water tank, which gives a fresh hops character. Similar to hops in American Pale Ales or IPAs, but without excess bitterness or astringency. Or booze. “Hydrate with hops,” I read somewhere, and it sure is a premium approach to ordinary sparkling water with a corresponding price tag, as adding hops such as Citra, Amarillo, Mosaic and Simcoe is not for free.

The hop water at Ratio Beerworks was, as promised, refreshing, crisp and clean – a healthy alternative en route to the next taproom in RiNo. “Not for me. I like malt and yeast too in my water,” said a fellow beer colleague later when I shared my new discovery.

The future will tell whether the American trend will catch elsewhere. Some European breweries already have hop water in the line-up, such as Siren Craft Brew in the UK and Jämtlands Bryggeri in Sweden, in case you’re curious – and want to stay hydrated with hops.