Crafting a New Wave : Hop Waters in the UK
An easy to grow plant which may ease hot flushes, relieve insomnia, fight cardiovascular disease and combat depression has been part of our culture for hundreds of years. That plant is Humulus lupus or the common hop. Hops are however, synonymous with brewing, and brewing means fermentation and the creation of alcohol. Even the modern yeasts which create many of the alcohol-free beers I enjoy so much still rely on fermentation. The common hop is an easy plant to hybridise and manipulate, and the exotic and interesting flavours which these hybrids create have been an essential part of both the craft beer revolution, and the alcohol-free beer revolution happening right now. So why not skip the traditional brewing part completely and just combine the hops with water? You can get the great taste of hops and potentially those possible health benefits too, and without the time-consuming processes of making beer. This is the premise of hop water.
Hop waters are already big news in the USA, where brands such as Lagunitas, Hoplark and Hop Watr fight it out alongside literally dozens of other offerings. In the UK and indeed in Europe however we are more used to seeing flavoured mineral waters in our supermarkets. Sparkling drinks which are not sugary and contain just a hint of citrus or elderflower. Hop waters are still definitely not mainstream despite consumer fascination for superfoods and the latest trends. Could hop waters be about to have their big breakthrough moment here? I tried hop waters from half a dozen British breweries and spoke to the people trying to bring their love of hops to a wider audience.
Just how easy is it to make hop water? Some cynics dismiss the process as simply adding liquid hop extract to water, carbonate it and can the result, but this is certainly not the approach of the brewers who spoke to me. Jordan Childs, Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of Mash Gang, explains, “Easy to do, difficult to master. It’s a very transparent product. So balance is insanely hard, and everything from water profile to dry hopping times and amounts have an effect. The lack of fermentation is interesting, as hops taste very different without it.”. Jordan also very modestly admits that he is yet to master it. This complexity could explain why Big Water isn’t selling us hop flavoured drinks alongside the lemon or elderflower versions. Unlocking the flavours present in hops is a form of alchemy known only to brewers.
The hops chosen for hop water tend to be New World varieties with distinctive and fruity flavour profiles. Simply put, these hops have been created to pack in lots of flavour, and this suits the relatively simple production process of hop water. I am not aware of any experiments with classic British hops yet, no Fuggles or Goldings hop waters. I asked Brian Dickson, Head Brewer and Co-Founder at Northern Monk , about his hop choices, “We’ve experimented with several different hops… Across our three Holy Hop Waters, we’ve used Citra, El Dorado and Sabro hops, with each bringing a different flavour and character to the drink. With Citra we’ve also used mango to give it that fruity side, and the El Dorado version featured peach, which gives it a nice sweet, fruit flavour.”
Matt Dutton from Manchester’s Track Brewery explains why Citra was the obvious hop choice for their first hop water, “Citra is a really popular American hop. If we’re going to sell a beer to our customers, the majority of them love Citra. It’s a flavour they already understand. It’s quite citrusy, lemony, and has tropical flavours, which I see as being quite accessible to people who don’t drink beer.” Matt’s last point is especially pertinent, just who are the consumers who are drinking hop water?
In the USA and Canada low-calorie alcohol-free beers are more of an important market segment. Hop waters fit smoothly alongside these beers as a way of going lower still if calories are a concern. The UK alcohol free beer industry doesn’t yet widely emphasise the lower calorie angle of their products, however I do hear from people who happily drink beers with alcohol but who check the labels of AF beers and complain. Hop waters seem to be an ideal way of reaching those sceptical consumers who want zero calories when they are not consuming alcohol, but still feel an attachment to a preferred beer brand. Laura Rangeley, marketing and communications manager at Abbeydale Brewery explains, “Having Sparkling Hop Water as part of our range has enabled us to engage in a new way with an audience who already know and trust our beers but might be looking for something else to feed into their changing habits and lifestyle”
Matt Dutton echoes this idea about how hop waters reach customers who wouldn’t ordinarily be beer drinkers, “there’s potential to reach people who might not drink beer at all, that’s one of the interesting things about hop water. It could be an entry point for people who might then go on to try our alcohol-free beers and maybe even our regular beers. “
Outside of North America, hop waters might still be on the periphery of consumer tastes but I believe that it could be all about to change. Brands like Liquid Death have shown that a sector as congested as mineral water, can be shaken up by something presented as new and exciting. Hops bring distinctive flavours which an established customer base already enjoy, and new customers could be enticed by the ultra-low-calorie content or by the potential health benefits of the “super food” that is the not so humble hop. Here is just a selection of hop waters made by British craft breweries which I have enjoyed recently; these are often made in small quantities as brewers find their feet and consumers decide which ones they prefer, so shop around if you don’t find the specific one you are looking for.
Mash Gang – Ultralite Beams
This delicate hop water uses 100% Nectaron hops, a New Zealand varietal which conjures up tropical flavours ranging from peach to pineapple. The exotic and fruity notes of this hop work really well here. This is subtle and bright with no rough edges.
Abbeydale Brewery Sparkling Hop Water Amarillo
Sheffield’s Abbeydale Brewery use Yorkshire water and citrusy American Amarillo hops. It tastes gently of dry orange and has a bright, floral aroma. This is another light option which steers away from real bitterness and gives a refreshing and easy to drink result.
Northern Monk Holy Hop Water
Mango/Citra Infused
Leeds’s Northern Monk have been pioneers of British hop waters and alongside their single hop varietal editions, they offer subtle fruity versions. The added mango (and a touch of apple juice) makes this a dry and refreshing grownup soft drink. The Citra hops give this a dry, zesty edge.
Track Brewing Hop Infused Sparkling Water | Citra
Made in Manchester, this hop water uses Citra hops to give this an unmistakable clean citrus nose, and to deliver the dry, zesty bitterness which make this such a popular hop. This has a slightly piney and refreshing edge, and is surprisingly complex for a single adjunct product.
Only With Love Lupho Sabro & Peach Hop Soda
Sussex’s Only With Love take their fruited hop water to another level by including a splash of apple cider vinegar. This is a sophisticated and refreshing soda which takes the genre to a very accessible place, whilst retaining enough tropical hop character to please craft beer fans.
Siren Idaho 7 Sparkling Hop Water
Siren Craft Brew were inspired to create hop waters by a trip to the hop harvest in Oregon, USA. The Idaho 7 hop really shines in this one, with a subtle elderflower aroma and a surprising amount of tropical and stone fruit flavours.