![]() Oddly enough, not even beer industry professionals can drink hop-heavy IPAs all day and stay awake and alert during a two-day technical seminar on hops! Every time they cracked open a new case of Fair State’s hop water, it disappeared almost immediately. Hops & Brew School features an open beer bar all. Fair State Co-op sent several cases of their new hop water in three different varieties-green (Citra and Mosaic), orange (Citra and Galaxy) and blue (Citra and Centennial) for attendees to sample. Hop water bubbled up again at Yakima Chief‘s Hops & Brew School last September. I later cracked it open and was intrigued by the refreshing combination of bubbles, green tea and tropical fruity hops. (Isn’t it amazing that our phones keep track of so much data when we take pictures? What a time to be alive!) A sleek-looking can of Hoplark Sparkling Green Tea with Mosaic hops on an endcap in the grocery section caught my attention. I first noticed hops being used in beverages other than beer on a Target run in fall of 2021. Hop water, which is essentially dry-hopped carbonated water, provides that crisp punch of Lupulin flavor we love in IPAs without the carbs and alcohol-making it suitable to drink anytime, anywhere. Hop Water is sliding into a go-to position for many beer enthusiasts. The execution of these products is quite good and, with some slight tweaks to the branding, it should fit very nicely in Athletic’s portfolio.As the weather in some parts of the country is warming up, a bubbly, refreshing NA beverage is riding the shirttails of Dry January. Overall, we really like seeing Athletic Brewing expanding out their offering into a new category and we especially like how they’ve done it in such a way (with hops!) that it lightly ties back to their core mission. The top down hierarchy of the label makes it easy to figure this product out quickly and, given the popularity of hops in beer, we don’t think the product requires any further explanation or education. Putting this aside, the look of DayPack is clean and intuitive. We’d love to see it at the top, rather than the bottom, and this seems like something that would help the brand have immediate credibility rather than starting from scratch. This is, in our opinion, something that could be a bit more prominent part of this product. The top portion of the can (the white stripe) is where you’ll find the DayPack logo and the core product descriptions of “flavored seltzer” and “infused with hops.” Below this, you’ll find the flavor name that has “with hops” beneath it to reinforce the product’s primary feature.įinally, at the bottom you’ll find “crafted by Athletic Brewing” in small white letters. The design of the label features three stripes - one that’s white and two that are in separate shades of the accent color that’s unique to each SKU. On the outside, DayPack’s 12 ounce can features a pressure sensitive label that leaves the top and bottom of the can exposed. ![]() The taste of hops is a tease of sorts and this product is lighter in body than a beer / non-alc beer. This seems like a product that bridges the gap between a true non-alcoholic beverage and a beer (or non-alcoholic beer in Athletic Brewing’s case). In addition, this product might, at least for some consumers, have a different use occasion. Plus, it will probably skew towards a slightly older demographic than traditional fruit flavored sparkling water typically does. While we think these pairings are enjoyable and the execution is spot on, this product has the potential to be somewhat polarizing based on how each consumer feels about hops. We’d put all four on equal footing in terms of enjoyment - it’s ultimately going to be a matter of preference. The hop oil adds a pine note and a touch of bitterness, which makes the product have a lot more depth than you’d get from just fruit flavor alone. They are familiar tasting when it comes to the fruit, but, thanks to the addition of the hop oil, have a unique twist. ![]() ![]() In terms of taste, the products are light, crisp, refreshing, and full of fruit and hop flavor. The products are zero calorie, unsweetened, and made with three simple ingredients: carbonated water, natural flavors, and hop oil. These include Mango with Hops, Black Cherry with Hops, Lemon Lime with Hops, and Blood Orange with Hops. There are four flavors at the brand’s launch. DayPack pairs hops, which is perhaps the best known beer ingredient, with fruit flavors to create a unique entry into the flavored sparkling water category. ![]() DayPack is a new line extension from Athletic Brewing and the company’s first offering outside of the non-alcoholic beer space. ![]()
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