[Foodie Friday Recipe] Sparkling Summer Berry Hop Water

Rose S. | July 31, 2020 | Real Food Recipes

Cool off with this easy, tasty & healthy summer beverage: sparkling summer berry hop water!

With the full heat of summer upon us, many of us are enjoying a special drink or two to help us keep cool. But our choices aren’t always the healthiest. Alcoholic beverages can have adverse effects, and of course, we all know how bad soda is for us. If you’re tired of iced tea and looking for a tasty new way to cool off this summer, maybe it’s time to try hop water!

The “hot” new cool beverage on the scene, hop water is a non-alcoholic, carbonated, hop-infused beverage that is healthy, refreshing, and surprisingly easy to make at home.

Hops are believed to have a number of health benefits including restful sleep, relief from anxiety and menopausal symptoms, improved digestive and heart health, reduced pain and inflammation, and more. (As with any herb or supplement, you should always consult your health care practitioner about using hops in a medicinal way.) You can buy dried hops flowers online or at a local herb store.

This simple homemade hop water recipe won’t cost you a pretty penny like the store-bought kind, and you don’t need any special equipment to make it. You can drink it plain if you like, or try the berry-infused recipe below with fresh, sweet, summer berries for a healthy and refreshing treat!

First, you’ll need to make your hop tea or infusion.

Start by heating 2 cups of water to about 175°F.
Put 1 TB whole hops flowers into a clean teapot or glass container, and pour the hot water over. Let steep for 5-10 minutes, depending on your desired potency. Longer steeping will provide a more pronounced hop flavor.
Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean glass jar, and add a squeeze of lemon. Cool in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To enjoy it plain, add 1 part tea to 2 parts sparkling water in a glass over ice, garnish with mint or an herb of your choice, and enjoy!
Store remaining tea in the fridge in a glass jar with a securely fitting lid for up to 5 days.

Or, try this delicious berry-infused “mocktail”!

Sparkling Summer Berry Hop Water Recipe

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

⅓ to ½ cup hop tea
Sparkling water to taste
1 handful of fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, or better yet, a combo)
⅓ cup orange or pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar or other natural sweetener (optional)
Orange slice or berries for garnish

Instructions:

Combine the hop tea and sparkling water to make your “base.” Adjust the hop tea to water ratio as desired.
Muddle the berries and strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl, saving some pulp.
Add the berry juice and pulp, orange or pomegranate juice, and optional sweetener to the hop water base and stir.
Embellish with a slice of orange or a couple of loose berries in the drink.