Homebrew Summer: Hop Water

Bine-borne character and hydration collide in the brewing industry’s latest and most unexpected trend: hop water. A non-alcoholic beverage conveying hop flavors and aromas while quenching one’s thirst, the it-is-what-it-is offering has gained serious steam (a water-based pun…no?…fair enough). In their third Homebrew Summer go-round, the Bens (My Yard Live Beer Co. Head Brewer Ben “Shaggy” Blaney and his longtime homebrewing partner Ben Cusey) decided to try their hand at making hop water. We’re proud to say their crystal-clear, hop-studded H2O turned out great and is currently on tap at the San Marcos brewpub. We’re also happy to report that you can download their hop-water recipe below so you can try making it, or your own rendition on this delicacy, yourself.

New pro-am beers will debut weekly throughout the summer, so be sure to check back with San Diego Beer News on a regular basis (or subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter and we’ll send all the recipes and release information straight to your inbox). Cheers and happy homebrewing!

Ben Cusey
Homebrewer

How does it feel to have your recipe selected to be brewed on a pro scale?
It has been an unbelievable experience being able to take a hobby of mine and see it reach new levels by brewing on a commercial system. I am very grateful for the opportunity that Shaggy and the My Yard Live team have provided through the Homebrew Summer program. It takes me back to the days of Little League and being able to walk out on a Major League field; very humbling and an experience that you never forget. Shaggy’s knowledge of brewing has definitely led me to look outside the box and push past what I thought were the limits of brewing. In the spirit of pushing past the limits of traditional brewing, we decided to tackle a hop water this year. Most beer enthusiasts tend to take time off from alcohol, or due to the constraints of scheduling or driving, want a non-alcoholic option. When exploring the options currently available, the best all-around and most refreshing option that I found was hop water. Most hop waters that we sampled fell short of enjoyable and carried a very artificial taste, but there were a select few that restored hope. Our goal was to create a hop water that was refreshing and brought out the best parts of the hops that beer enthusiasts have grown to love. With limited quality options available, I am excited to try and bring something new and innovative to the table.

Ben “Shaggy” Blaney
Head Brewer, My Yard Live Beer Co.

What led you to select this beer recipe?
As anyone that works in this industry knows, taking some time off from “market research/quality control” is much needed. I’ve been wanting to dabble in the realm of hop water since I first saw one on the shelf, because hops. Finding a balance of hop presence without the backbone of beer was also an intriguing challenge. We used a combo of a new varietals, New Zealand Riwaka hop oil and a hop called Zumo from the legendary Segal Ranch, to create an intense citrus-forward profile 

My Yard Live Beer Co. is located at 288 Rancheros Drive in San Marcos