Warm temperatures mean crushable beer season. But sometimes you need a break from all those malts, hops, and alcohol. This is where hop water comes in.
If you’ve never heard of hop water, it’s a great non-alcoholic change of pace on a hot, humid day. It’s refreshing, crisp, and very flavorful. Think of a seltzer or sparkling water, but instead of artificial fruit flavors it gets infused (or flavored) with various hop types (simcoe, citra, and others) and sometimes other flavors as well.
The hop water market has gone from close to zero to a burgeoning market in recent years with options from big breweries as well as smaller upstart brands.
Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher
If you’re an IPA drinker, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve enjoyed a can (or three) of Lagunitas IPA (or any of the iconic brewery’s other IPAs) over the years. But, if you’re looking for a respite from alcohol without missing out on hoppy flavor, the folks at Lagunitas have something perfect for you. Flavored with citra, equinox, and centennial hops, this fresh, crisp, sparkling water is known for its mix of floral, piney, citrus, and tropical fruit flavors. It’s thirst-quenching, refreshing, and leaves you craving more. One sip and you’ll want this summer sipper stocked in your fridge at all times.
Buy (6-pack): $7.99
H2OPS Original
H2OPS makes multiple flavors, but if you’re going to try one, the Original is a great choice. Made with a mix of premium Northwest-grown whole hops without any extract, oils, or additional flavors, it has zero alcohol, zero calories, zero sugar, and it’s gluten-free, caffeine-free, and doesn’t even have any sodium. Made simply with carbonated water and hops, it’s fresh, crisp, hoppy, and effortlessly thirst-quenching.
Buy (6-pack): $10.49
Ever-Hop The Original
Ever-Hop Original is a combination of sparkling water, grapefruit, and lemon juice as well as a hearty heaping of chinook hops. The result is a crisp, refreshing thirst-quencher loaded with floral, piney, dank hops as well as bright citrus flavors. All this and no alcohol? What’s not to love on a steaming hot summer day?
Buy (12-pack): $29.99
HOP WTR Classic
HOP WTR takes its hop water very seriously. The brand makes a slew of flavors including Peach, Blood Orange, Lime, Mango, Ginger Lemonade, and Pink Grapefruit. And while you can’t go wrong with any of those flavors, before you dive into flavored hop water, you have to try HOP WTR Classic. Flavored with citra, amarillo, mosaic, and azacca hops, this memorable, refreshing sparkling water is loaded with flavors like citrus peels, pine needles, and dank hops. If you want to take a break from the alcohol in your favorite double IPA without losing any of the resinous flavor, this is your hop water.
Buy (6-pack): $9.99
Hoplark Tropical
Hops Hoplark is another hop water brand that makes a variety of flavors. The best is its Tropical Hops. This aptly named hop water gets its flavor from the addition of sabro hops. The result is an epically refreshing sparkling water filled with a combination of ripe tropical fruits like pineapple and mango as well as dank pine. For a vegan, non-alcoholic water with no calories, no carbohydrates, and no caffeine, it’s surprisingly flavorful.
Buy (18-pack): $41.99
Sierra Nevada Hop Splash
No hop water list is complete without the inclusion of Sierra Nevada Hop Splash. You probably know Sierra Nevada because of its many iconic beers, including Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. But the brand also makes the aforementioned Hop Splash. Flavored with citra and amarillo hops, this zero-alcohol sparkling water is filled with tropical fruit and dank, resinous pine flavors. It’s crisp, refreshing, and deserves a permanent spot in your fridge. Summer, fall, winter, and spring.
Buy (6-pack): $9.49
