Drink of the Week: Hoplark HopTea

Using an essential ingredient of the beer industry, Boulder-based Hoplark created HopTea, a new, alcohol-free beverage that’s already racking up awards. Made with with organic tea leaves, Hoplark adds hops like Simcoe and Citra to the brew to extract complementary herbal and citrus notes before the beverage is carbonated and canned. The core flavor varieties include black tea with Simcoe and Citra, green tea with Mosaic, chamomile with citra, and white tea with Lemondrop and Simcoe, while other flavors get a hint of fresh lemon or grapefruit juice. The result is a refreshing sparkling tea with the subtle bitterness of a freshly poured beer. Founders Dean Eberhardt and Andrew Markley initially launched HopTea at the Denver Farmer’s Market in 2018, and the cans are now sold in Whole Foods stores nationwide, as well as online. $35/12-pack, hoptea.com