Revolution Brewing Super Zero Sparkling Hop Water Review

As a 30-something beer and spirits writer, I find myself turning increasingly in the direction of non-alcoholic beer or other NA options these days. This is hardly a unique position to be in–many of my peers find themselves in the same boat, tapping the brakes on youthful exuberance and progressing in their careers with greater moderation as the watchword. This has resulted in no shortage of NA beer coverage in Paste in recent years, as I’ve watched the category constantly expand and diversify. Along the way, I’ve watched little niches such as “hop water” expand and increase in popularity, without ever truly puzzling over how that category is distinct. Now, sipping on the newly released Super Zero Sparkling Hop Water from Chicago mainstays Revolution Brewing, I find myself truly considering this niche in detail for the first time.

It’s not as if “hop water” is some brand new concept–I recall tasting samples from various small craft breweries at Paste back in 2017 or 2018. But in a field of non-alcoholic beer that has jumped past all previous quality hurdles and become a much more enticing beverage in the process, it is perhaps fair to ask “What exactly does hop water offer?” What makes this product distinct or valuable, in comparison with say, a non-alcoholic IPA? What occasions call for hop water specifically? Can they offer the same experience as de-alcoholized beers, or is it inherently scratching a different itch?

The more I think about it, the more I find myself leaning toward the latter: Hop water is superficially similar to non-alcoholic, hop-forward beer, but it doesn’t quite serve the same function when all is said and done. Hop water tends to be more genuinely refreshing, for one–I would reach for one when thirsty, rather than reaching for one specifically when I’m craving a beer. This would potentially lead me to bring hop water to places where I wouldn’t bring NA beer, such as hot weather/outdoor venues. The hop flavor profiles likewise strike me as significantly different in the context of hop water, which I’ll expound on in a moment. Perhaps it’s best to think of hop water as something more adjacent to traditional seltzers, albeit where the flavor just happens to be “hops.”

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Revolution’s Super Zero, meanwhile, is the brewery’s first expansion into the “beyond beer” space, and one must think that the discussions on how to do that likely included the possibility of non-alcoholic beer. But instead, they went this route: A crisp, sparkling water flavored with Sabro and Nectaron hops, which the company says makes for “an attractive option for fans of citrusy hop flavor taking a break from beer.” Like any true hop water, it features no calories, carbohydrates or added sugar.

“We took a look at a lot of different ingredients over several batches, but Super Zero’s recipe ended up with just carbonated water, hops, and citric acid,” said Brewmaster Jim Cibak in a statement. “Sabro and Nectaron are two of the highest quality varieties and we wanted to let those refreshing fruit notes shine. We used whole hop pellets, no oils, extracts, or sweeteners, and found that anything else would just get in the way of that big rush of fresh hop flavor.”

Here’s the thing, though: Although I would agree with the idea of hop waters presenting “fresh hop flavor,” I’m not so certain that I typically get much of the bombastic fruit notes that breweries are trying to achieve. Without the chemical, transformative process that is fermentation, in my experience most hop waters maintain a much more “green” and fresh hop character that doesn’t necessarily show off the distinct varietals being used. This doesn’t necessarily mean that I dislike those hop waters, as I can enjoy the green, resinous or grassy hop flavor–only that I don’t find the advertised fruitiness to be a major player most of the time.

So with that said, how will Super Zero measure up?

On the nose, this sparkling hop water is as fresh and green as I was expecting it to be, very reminiscent of a just-opened bag of hop pellets on brew day. It has a spicy, buzzy, resinous quality that is the primary aromatic, though there is an underlying tropical fruit as well. The nose is certainly assertive enough, as the hops are really leaping out of the glass.

On the palate, I’m surprised to find myself actually getting significantly more fruit–it strikes me like a distinct melon or cantaloupe more than heavy citrus, but it is quite pleasant, supported by grass and resin that are both quite bold. Pairing nicely with an effervescent fizziness, the lack of residual sugar makes this drink very easily, and I’m also realizing that hop water feels much more natural to me to drink straight from the can, compared to how I would approach something like a non-alcoholic IPA. Again, this factors into the equation of where one would ultimately bring this kind of product to drink it–I could see myself bringing this in say, a cooler to the beach, where I would be less likely to drink non-alcoholic beer in that scenario.

At the end of the day, I’m not sure that hop water will ever be capable of showing off the “full suite” of every hop-derived flavor, as it were, but brands like Super Zero make up for that with effortless drinkability and refreshment. They represent another valuable tool in the kit for drinkers who are experimenting with sobriety or simply reducing consumption, whether it’s Sober October, Dry January or beyond.

Brewery: Revolution Brewing
City: Chicago, IL
Style: Hop water
ABV: 0%
Availability: 12 oz cans

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident brown liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.