Everyone knows what zero-ABV beer is — especially given the last few years of declining alcohol consumption and the rising sober-curious movement — but fewer people are familiar with its overlooked little sibling: hop water, AKA the “LaCroix of beer.”
What is it?
More or less what it sounds like: sparkling water flavored with hops, the flower used in beer brewing to add flavor, aroma, and bitterness.
Introduced in 2014 by brewer Paul Tecker, hop water was actually one of the earliest entrants in the nonalcoholic beer space, but has struggled to take off despite the segment’s rise in popularity, per Food Dive.
- The bitter-but-buzzless bev generates ~$28.5m a year, per NielsenIQ data, representing just a sliver of the ~$1B zero-ABV industry.
- While sales of NA beer grew 18% during the year ended Oct. 25, hop water sales slumped 7.3%.
But with functional drinks on the up and up, paired with the NA sector’s continued growth, hop water’s future is starting to show promise.
Hope for hops
Unlike its fermented counterpart, hop water usually doesn’t contain any sugar, carbs, calories, or gluten.
By playing up these kinds of better-for-you attributes, experts say it could draw in demand from not only the NA beer crowd, but from the wellness-oriented consumers propping up functional beverage sales.
- Launched in 2022, brewing company Sierra Nevada’s Hop Splash, Food Dive reports, has been most successful when positioned in spaces like natural grocery stores.
- Hop Wtr, founded in 2020, is taking the hint, differentiating itself by adding ingredients like mood-enhancing adaptogens and brain-boosting nootropics to its products.
Other hop water makers, including Lagunitas, have tried tapping into the functional bev trend with THC-infused drinks, which have seen high demand since entering the mainstream market (although a new federal law is poised to nip that category’s future in the bud, so we wouldn’t necessarily suggest going that route).
But there’s one big obstacle…
Despite the emergence of dozens of hop water brands over the years, a lot of people still don’t know what it is or that it even exists.
One way producers are trying to change that is by generating some much-needed buzz with crisp new flavors. Hop Wtr, for example, recently introduced an iced tea lemonade flavor and a seasonal apple-spice one.
Mm. Finally, a reason to look forward to Dry January.
