Being the designated driver just got a lot cooler with the launch of Hopper soft drinks from the Juice Brewery. They’re made with hops, malt, wheat, and barley--just like your favorite brew--but they’re also infused with natural fruit flavors for a non-alcoholic beverage that doesn’t feel as juvenile as a regular soda.
What I like in particular about Hopper beverages is that they have a nice foamy head when poured into a glass. It’d be tough to tell an Apple Hopper or a Citrus Hopper apart from a light domestic beer or Belgian-style wheat beer. That said, the Juice Brewery’s offerings aren’t a nonalcoholic beer by any means. These are natural juice beverages that have been made with traditional beer ingredients. For traditionalists, this doesn’t sound like a combination that would work, but it does--in spades.
There’s another fun fact about Hopper that made it easy for me to give them a shot: Juice Brewery’s CEO, Tim Dewey. He spent over 20 years with Diageo (in charge of Guinness), William Grant & Sons and SAB Miller. Here’s what he has to say about Hopper below.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Hopper Soft Drinks
- The launch of Hopper soft drinks presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the beverage industry to cater to designated drivers with a more sophisticated non-alcoholic option.
- Non-alcoholic Beer Alternatives
- The trend towards non-alcoholic beverages made with traditional beer ingredients presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the beer industry to expand their consumer base.
- Fruit-infused Soft Drinks
- The trend towards natural fruit-infused non-alcoholic beverages presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the soft drink industry to appeal to health-conscious and discerning consumers.
Where This Applies
- Beverage Industry
- The beverage industry can take advantage of the Hopper soft drinks trend to create more non-alcoholic options for designated drivers and expand their market.
- Beer Industry
- The trend towards non-alcoholic beer alternatives presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the beer industry to create more diverse and inclusive options for consumers.
- Soft Drink Industry
- The fruit-infused soft drinks trend presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the soft drink industry to cater to health-conscious consumers and challenge traditional sugary drinks.
