Dry January – Beards Brewery – Michigan Hop Water

One of my favorite aspects of Dry January is discovering new-to-me craft beverages. I think its a rarity to find craft beverage options that are made in Michigan, so I’m excited when I find them and even more excited when they become part of my rotation for the rest of the year.

Beards Brewery out of Petoskey, MI is a popular Michigan brewery known for Luna, Oh! The Citranity, and Serendipity Porter among many others. Last summer they decided to delay their entry into the low calorie hard seltzer craze and capitalize on a non-alcoholic offering with Michigan Hop Water.

I met up with Peter Manthei, one of the co-owners of Beards, over the summer and he said Beards was very excited about the potential for Michigan Hop Water as a non-alcoholic beverage option. He said the team at Beards had spent a lot of time perfecting the process and product and were ready to see it in people’s hands all over the state and country.

I’ve been picking up Michigan Hop Water whenever I see it in stores, but for Dry January I snagged a new batch of cans directly from the source via the online store at Beards. It arrived right on my doorstep a couple of days later.

Beards Brewery claims that Michigan Hop Water “makes for a perfect alcohol free drink straight up, but also goes well as a mixer, especially in gin drinks.” Mixed drinks are too complex for me, so I always stick to drinking it on its own.

When I cracked open the can and poured it into a glass, I was reminded of why I enjoy drinking Michigan Hop Water on its own because I think it captures Michigan perfectly with both the smell and taste of it. The state of Michigan is an outdoor person’s paradise with tons of forests and waterways to explore. Michigan Hop Water is earthy and flavorful.

The type of hop that is used is Michigan Copper. Beards Brewery utilizes the hops from MI Local Hops out of nearby Williamsburg, MI. Michigan Copper is an indigenous hop strain and is known for its strong aroma and grassy notes. It should go without saying, but the water used to brew is also from Michigan, so consumers are getting a 100% made in Michigan product.

The nutritional stats are wonderful whether its Dry January or a hot day in the summer because there are 0 calories, 0 grams of any macronutrient, and 0% ABV. If you’re looking for a craft beverage from Michigan AND packed with hops, Michigan Hop Water from Beards Brewery is perfect for you!

Cheers!

Disclaimer: Ed purchased Michigan Hop Water for this review.