FAQ
H2OPs Water
What is H2OPS “hop water”?
Our hop water is the simple combination of hops and water. H2OPS sparkling hop water is brewed like beer except we only use hops. There are other hop waters out there, but we are differentiated by our craft brewing and hop selections. We do not use extracts in our original H2OPS.
What’s the idea behind this?
We believe that the amazing flavor from hops should be enjoyed on more occasions. Most of our customers drink beer, but love our hop water for those times when they want to avoid the negative effects of alcohol and still want a special drink. For others, who are abstaining, it's a social hoppy drink they can enjoy while others are imbibing.
How can it contain zero (0) alcohol?
Because there are no yeasts, or grains (sugar) used in our hop water brewing process, it naturally has zero alcohol. Alcohol is created in beer when yeast convert sugars into alcohol. The hops in beer and our hop water only provide flavor and are not a sugar source.
How can it contain zero (0) calories and zero sugar(0)?
There are no sugars or calories in hops. Because there are no sweeteners in our hop water, it naturally has zero calories. For our fruit varieties, we do not add caloric fruit juice, only the organic extract flavors, which do not contribute calories.
Is H2OPS gluten free?
Yes. Gluten in beer comes from barley and grains. Since we only brew with hops, it's gluten free.
What are hops?
Hops are the flower of the Humulus Lupulus plant and look like little green pine cones. There are two types of hops; bittering and aroma hops. We only brew with the aroma type. There are over 100 varieties of hops and all have slightly different flavors. The types of hops we prefer can be described as having complex citrus, pine, floral and “green” flavors. These flavors and the beautiful green color of hops inspired our green glass bottle choice.
What hops do you use?
We use a blend of aroma hops from the Northwest such as Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, Centennial and Amarillo, but we are always evaluating new varieties and blends. We go for aroma and flavor, not bitterness. We strongly believe in brewing from the whole hop and nothing but the hop. These compressed whole hops are like the ones many home brewers are familiar with. We do not use hop extracts or hop oils, which only contain fractions of the whole hop flower. To us there is a big taste difference.
Is H2OPS carbonated?
Yes. It's lightly carbonated at similar levels to beer, which is much less than other sparkling and seltzer waters.
Why is "brewed from the whole hop" important?
Instead of using concentrated fractions of hops, such as extracts, oils or "natural hop flavors," which can taste synthetic, we brew with the entire hop flower. Specifically, we brew with T-90 pellets, which are compressed from whole hops.
How do you properly serve H2OPS?
H2OPS is perfect drinking right from the bottle for that familiar ritual, but many like to pour it in a tulip or pilsner glass to release more of the complex aromas and flavors. Your choice.
Who invented hop water?
Our H2OPS brand is the authentic original pioneer in this new craft brewed hop water category. We revealed our invention to the world at a California beer festival in 2014 and later won Beverage Industry’s magazine’s “beverage innovation of the year” back in 2018. We are proud to be the first, but are not satisfied. We continue to strive every day to be the best and most authentic hop water available. While you may find historical references to hop water in Japan, our research shows that it was more of a medicinal health tonic than a craft brewed drink to be enjoyed as a refreshing alternative to beer.
Is H2OPS pasteurized?
Yes. We use a special pasteurization method to ensure safety and quality.
How do you pronounce H2OPS?
You can spell it out H-2-O-P-S or just say H2-OPS. H2OPS is our registered trademark brand name and “hop water” is the generic name for this new beverage category.
Are hops healthy?
Your doctor is your best source for personal health guidance. We can however share that H2OPS has zero alcohol, zero calories is unsweetened, gluten free and caffeine free. We also never add supplements or other novelty marketing ingredients, which may require health warnings. Hops (humulus lupulus) are generally recognized as safe by the FDA (GRAS). Not all hop water brands are the same and we recommend reading the labels.