July 8, 2026
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)
- Cold infusion (dry hop): pellets into the water, 24 to 48 h in the fridge. Cold extraction pulls the aromas without harsh bitterness.
- Filtering: pass through a fine sieve — hop particles cloud the drink and age it faster.
- Acidification: the juice of half a lemon per litre, or a touch of lactic acid.
- 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.