HopLark’s HopTea – The Calm One is a bad boy of an option even if you hate sparkling water. Ever since my wife coerced me into doing the Whole 30 diet with her, I’ve hated la croix. Sooo if you are anything like me, I feel ya but, let’s dig into an option that might change your life!
Let me introduce you to my good friend, HopLark. Based out of Boulder, CO, Hoplark is doing some great things including collaborations with breweries, like my favorite, Outer Range Brewing in Frisco, CO. Their beverages are overall, just super tasty and all in all good for ya! Clocking in at 0 calories and no sugar, you can’t go wrong with HopTea as a healthy alternative to replace your hoppy beer intake.
I first heard about HopTea from a friend about a year ago who had stopped drinking alcohol for a year at this point. We stopped by Whole Foods when he was in town and grabbed a few tallboys to take with us on a hike. I, on the other hand was still drinking alcohol at this point and certainly had my doubts. My father stopped drinking alcohol several years ago and would always try the different types of NA booze he could find and was never that impressed. My first sip of HopTea was a revelation. Similar to any other NA beer I’ve had so far, I could clearly tell it didn’t have alcohol. It tasted much lighter but the fact that it was basically sparkling tea brewed with hops allowed the the hop flavors to shine through and all in all tasted great.
This particular flavor or style is pretty subtle in terms of hops. Hoplark actually has a hoppyness level on the side of the can this one comes in at the “wee bit” level(the lowest of the 5 levels available). Its a chamomile tea brewed with Citra hops and I would say that the flavor is lite but balanced overall. I wouldn’t compare this one to any craft beer I’ve had before because the notes are just different than any beer I’ve had but that’s not quite a bad thing.
I really enjoy the fact that I can pop one of these open later in the evening and don’t have to worry about the caffeine(like in most teas I drink) keeping me up at night. I can still taste the hops but the chamomile, which I typically don’t care too much for, helps me relax a bit and be present. Another thing that I appreciate about Hoplark’s HopTea is that one can is super filling. I usually can only drink 1-2 per setting before my stomach is full which I supposed is another benefit to those of you looking for some healthy alternatives to heavy calorie brews.
At the end of the day, I would never pass up a HopTea from Hoplark. They’ve got the mix down to a “T”. My only complaint is that they run about $3 per can and I can only find 3 flavors in town. You can subscribe to a monthly club on their website which will get you a discount and the option to try special limited release flavors. I still think they are pricey at just over $30 for a 12 pack, its certainly hard to justify spending that much for not a lot of beverage. I would argue that the price is worth it but I’d much rather see more variety at my local stores so I can buy a few cans each week rather than being locked into 4 week subscription model.
Give them a shot and check out The Calm One if you have a chance. This is probably the best one to try first since it was less hops and then you can move up from there.
Cheers!