Diving Deep Into Hop Water

The Hop Water market had been relatively quiet recently, but that's expected during the early summer months, far from Sober October and Dry January. However, recent developments and interesting data involving this emerging category have surfaced. The likelihood of a new category leader overtaking Lagunitas’ Hoppy Refresher has become a near certainty. Athletic Brewing has bowed out completely, yet big hitters are jumping in. I’ve got hot takes, conspiracy theories, and the most recent NIQ dataset from the last 12, 26, and 52 weeks to see who is making noise. It’s getting interesting out there, so put on your scuba gear and let’s dive in.

A New Hop Water King About to be Crowned? 🔱

Lagunitas pioneered the hop water category, designating it their top marketing focus for 2022 and 2023—a bold move for one of the nation's largest “craft" beer brands. Since then, Hoppy Refresher and the brands it inspired have experienced a quick ascent. Lagunitas' mature beer portfolio hasn't fared as well recently, leading to the closure of their massive Chicago brewery and consolidation of production at their original Petaluma facility. As they aim to get their IPA portfolio back on track, starting with a packaging refresh, it's worth considering whether the Hop Water will receive the same marketing dollars that its become accustomed to. Hoppy Refresher growth has come to a screeching halt in the last 12 weeks of NIQ.

Consisting of about 35-38% of the entire market in NIQ ($), depending on the time frame, Hoppy Refresher’s performance significantly impacts the data for the category overall. That doesn’t mean Lagunitas’ trends are being experienced by all competitors though.