Hop water: the hoppy sparkler with 0% alcohol

The low-ABV trend found its star

Hop water is sparkling water infused with hops: the aromas of an IPA — citrus, tropical fruit, resin — without the alcohol or the calories. In the US it already has its own shelf; at home, it brews beautifully.

Three ingredients, really

• Water — still at the start, sparkling at the end
• Hop pellets (4 to 5 g/L): Citra, Mosaic or Nelson for fruity; Saaz for a more herbal profile
• A little acid (lemon or lactic acid) to set the profile and keep the drink stable

The method (one week, counting generously)

1. Cold infusion (dry hop): pellets into the water, 24 to 48 h in the fridge. Cold extraction pulls the aromas without harsh bitterness.
2. Filtering: pass through a fine sieve — hop particles cloud the drink and age it faster.
3. Acidification: the juice of half a lemon per litre, or a touch of lactic acid.
4. Carbonation: a soda maker (easiest), or bottle fermentation with a pinch of sugar and yeast — in which case timing becomes critical.

The detail that changes everything: hop freshness

Stale hops make water that smells like hay. Buy small packs, store in the freezer, and note the batch you used — when an infusion is perfect, you'll want to reproduce it exactly.

Tracking your experiments

Variety, dosage, infusion time, acidity: perfect hop water is a matter of iteration. FermPal remembers every attempt — versioned recipe, tracked phases, hop stock up to date. Free account, no credit card.

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