Hop soda?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

ChshreCat

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2008
Messages
11,516
Reaction score
589
Location
Camano Island
I was brewing recently and since I brew sober, I had a can of pop that I was drinking. Well, I went to take a drink after handling the hops and just as I was taking a sip, the hop aroma from my fingers hit my nose and the combination surprised me...in a good way!

Anyone think of making some sort of a hopped soda? What would you put in it if you were to give it a shot? I was drinking a cola at the time and it was either cascades or amarillo hops I was smelling, but the combination worked.

Tell me I'm not crazy for thinking about doing this!
 
You're crazy for thinking about doing this. Would a sane person think of it? No! But sane people are boring and don't try new and different things.

I was considering just some other herbs to practice with soda (lemon verbena, mint, rosemary). I'm not a big fan of hops, but I can see the attraction. Just hops and sugar? What kind of hops do you think would work?

hops & ginger ale?
hops & lemon
I wonder if what it was with the cola was the caramel & citric acid parts that triggered it or something else.

Considering hops and vodka to extract rather than a boil due to bitterness, but perhaps a quick water and hops solution could work, just as a tea to pull out the aroma and flavor. I then think of Hopquila (A hopped whiskey that I got to sample up by Traverse City). So I don't think it's too bad of an idea to do a hop based soda. Maybe even replace some citrus with the hops.
 
I'm really not sure! Hopped cola might work. I wouldn't want it overly sweet. It was a diet cola I was drinking and the aroma just mixed really well with it.
 
So based on Chshre's idea, I just tossed 10 grams of Columbus hops into a quart of hot water, let it steep, strained and bottled. 10-30 ibu maybe? It's just what I had on hand and I didn't bother trying to figure out the IBUs.
I used some of it to try to mix with my peppermint tea. That was a mistake, it was way too bitter, no matter how much I poured out and replaced with plain peppermint "tea"
Just decanted, leaving some sediment behind and carbonated. It doesn't taste too bad plain.
I don't have too good of a setup to do a comparative taste test, but I have two syrups made using Rainbow soda extracts (cola and rootbeer). I don't think I liked it all that much in either of those, but some ginger/citrus flavor is floating around so I could be getting some off notes from that. I had some metallic overtones.
It does seem to pair up nicely to the ginger soda syrup though. Something about the spiciness of ginger, the sweetness of the turbinado sugar and the bitterness of the hops. If I try again, I'd reduce the amount of hops, or try different hops and then do a comparison test between the carbonated hop water and carbonated water with different syrups.
 
I've actually been thinking of experimenting with some thin like that. You're not crazy. Ill let you know how it turns out. Im going to start with Cola and Cascades.
 
Ok so last night I tossed two pellets (0.525 grams) of Liberty hops in a 16oz shasta cola bottle and let it sit overnight. AMAZING!!! The only problem I had is that i couldnt strain off ALL of the hops so it had a slightly bitter after taste. Im going to assume that this is because of the little pieces of hops stuck to the back of my tongue. I am definitely going tho do this large scale. Im thinkin 5 gallons of cola on an ounce of hops in a hop bag for about 24hrs, siphon and bottle.
 
Sounds good, kind of a dry hop for aroma and flavor? I don't think I liked the hop tea all that much, but then, it was pretty bitter.
 
Sorry, my friend. I know you're just making soda, but this is an alcohol making website. You're going to have to come back in about 8 years. See you then!
 
Sorry, my friend. I know you're just making soda, but this is an alcohol making website. You're going to have to come back in about 8 years. See you then!

Brewing is brewing - I'd be a bit more gentle in your reply next time, mate.
 
Brewing is brewing - I'd be a bit more gentle in your reply next time, mate.

I was quite gentle, and polite too boot. I don't make the rules. I just enjoy this website and don't want it shut down due to minors taking part. The age issue is in the terms of service. Not sure what I said (two and a half years ago) that offended you... mate.
 
lol... that long ago I'm not even sure who I was replying to, unless the post was removed along with the user.
 
I was quite gentle, and polite too boot. I don't make the rules. I just enjoy this website and don't want it shut down due to minors taking part. The age issue is in the terms of service. Not sure what I said (two and a half years ago) that offended you... mate.

Brewing soda doesn't mean someone is underage. Could be making soda for your own kids.

Back on topic - I'm going to try to make some sweet ginger ale and lightly "hop" it. Any suggestions on which hops to use?
 
Brewing soda doesn't mean someone is underage. Could be making soda for your own kids.

Back on topic - I'm going to try to make some sweet ginger ale and lightly "hop" it. Any suggestions on which hops to use?

I was talking to someone who WAS underage and said so at some point. The post was likely removed or it was in another thread that he stated his age. I'm sorry if that offends you but it's in the TOS when you sign up. I'm the one who started this thread. Why would I assume someone is underage for talking about making soda when I was talking about making soda? LOL
 
Missed the tasting at local bottle shop a couple days ago but its made by the Proper Soda Co. In Grand Rapids

IMG_9057875677716.jpeg
 
I was talking to someone who WAS underage and said so at some point. The post was likely removed or it was in another thread that he stated his age. I'm sorry if that offends you but it's in the TOS when you sign up. I'm the one who started this thread. Why would I assume someone is underage for talking about making soda when I was talking about making soda? LOL

Well, if there was a post that was removed... that certainly does change things. My apologies.
 
Okay. This might be easy?

Ingredients:

1.Hop Shot - Northern Brewer
2.Phosphoric Acid - Northern Brewer
3.Agave Nectar - Grocery Store
4.Water - Tap or Filtered

Mix the above until you like the taste.
Assuming the hop shot extract can be mixed into the rest of the ingredients...
 
Fuzzymittenbrewing said:
Missed the tasting at local bottle shop a couple days ago but its made by the Proper Soda Co. In Grand Rapids

In GR? I'm gonna have to check this out. Where can you get it? A quick web search didn't tell me too much. Thanks!
 
Okay. This might be easy?

Ingredients:

1.Hop Shot - Northern Brewer
2.Phosphoric Acid - Northern Brewer
3.Agave Nectar - Grocery Store
4.Water - Tap or Filtered

Mix the above until you like the taste.
Assuming the hop shot extract can be mixed into the rest of the ingredients...

I just had a can of hop soda, I bought two so I could try one immediately and can pour one in a glass when I get home. Very good stuff, I'm going to try something like this the only thing I have absolutely no idea how much to add is the phosphoric acid. Any suggestions on where to start with that?
 
Drinking from the can I liked it but out of the glass I couldn't taste hops at all. I don't know if maybe one can was older or something. Anyway though I bought some hopshot and I'm going to make a ginger ale and add the hopshot into the warm water while dissolving my sugar. Probably about five minutes before I turn it off. Hopefully it turn out good.
 
I was brewing recently and since I brew sober, I had a can of pop that I was drinking. Well, I went to take a drink after handling the hops and just as I was taking a sip, the hop aroma from my fingers hit my nose and the combination surprised me...in a good way!

Anyone think of making some sort of a hopped soda? What would you put in it if you were to give it a shot? I was drinking a cola at the time and it was either cascades or amarillo hops I was smelling, but the combination worked.

Tell me I'm not crazy for thinking about doing this!

Hops is an ingredient in some very old root beer recipes, e.g., see recipes I posted at https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f95/i-need-rootbeer-recipe-supplier-362079/index6.html.

Hops essential oil has all of the aroma (Does it smell like cabbage to you?) and none of the bitterness of hops. See http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/es1006151.html.

There was a big article in Perfumer Flavorist magazine about using fractionally distilled hops oil in food and beverage flavorings. See http://www.perfumerflavorist.com/flavor/application/multiuse/124504239.html?mobi=y

I do not know of any retail sources of food grade hops oil. My experience is with aromatherapy grade hops oil that I purchased at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hops-Flower...oz-/190924791783?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160 .
 
Northern brewer sells hopshot and I know there are a few other brewing sites that have their own version of hop oil that is made for brewing.
 
Northern brewer sells hopshot and I know there are a few other brewing sites that have their own version of hop oil that is made for brewing.

According to http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/hopshot.html , Hopshot is not hops oil but, instead, is "CO2-extracted hop resin that can be used for bittering." As I mentioned before, hops oil is not bitter.

I am aware of the fact that some brewing sites sell diluted hops oil. I consider such dilution as unwanted adulteration. A little pure hops oil goes a long way. At a concentration rate of 5 ppm in a beverage, 1 ounce of hops oil is enough to make 1564 gallons of beverage. If you compare prices based on recommended usage rates, you will see that the adulterated products are a gyp.
 
Ok thanks for the info, I won't try using it in my soda, I will just use fresh hops and add them when I turn the heat off after dissolving my sugar.
 
Isn't this just called Malta normally and sweetened with malt? That said, we like seltzer quite a bit so I could see it being good if you did it right. Maybe run it through a double strained hop spider when you boil the water (just to be safe/steep). Or maybe use whole leaf hops to make them easy to remove.
 
I don't know about everyone else but I was talking more about a lemon lime soda that is heavy on the hops. Malta is good though.
 
According to http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/hopshot.html , Hopshot is not hops oil but, instead, is "CO2-extracted hop resin that can be used for bittering." As I mentioned before, hops oil is not bitter.

I am aware of the fact that some brewing sites sell diluted hops oil. I consider such dilution as unwanted adulteration. A little pure hops oil goes a long way. At a concentration rate of 5 ppm in a beverage, 1 ounce of hops oil is enough to make 1564 gallons of beverage. If you compare prices based on recommended usage rates, you will see that the adulterated products are a gyp.

What about making an essential oil from hops and using that for flavor? I have heard of people making essential oils with hops to use as aromatherapy to help them sleep but I don't know about flavoring a drink.
 
I make a hop flavored soda. Of course it's got some alcohol in it... and the sugar comes from malted barley, but it fizzes. We call it IPA. ;)
Just Kiddin'.

Did one with some friends and used Nelson Saivon hops. Smelled so good I kept thinking they'd make a good candy or something. Just picked up a cheap Kegorator so I might have to go back and try "dry hopping" some soda with them. The ginger sounds interesting. Maybe that or a sarsaparilla? :)
 
So what is the actual thing you can make hop soda from?? I'm really interested in making my own soda like Proper, but kegged. I like that I can adjust the sugar and hop flavors to my satisfaction.
 
Back
Top