Real breweries. Real data. A blind taste test against one of the biggest names in hop water — won by a craft brewer using nothing but HopXL liquid extract. Here's the full story and the math behind it.
Mare Island Brewing Company in Vallejo, California, used HopXL water-soluble liquid hop extract to create a hop water. No pellets. No oil-based extracts. No dry hopping. Just HopXL dissolved directly into carbonated water.
The product was placed in a blind taste test at Costco alongside Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher — one of the most established hop waters on the market, backed by Heineken's global distribution and marketing infrastructure.
The HopXL-based product won the blind taste test. Then it sold out completely — moving 10 cases in a single weekend with zero brand recognition, zero marketing budget, and zero prior shelf presence.
This wasn't a marketing exercise. It was proof that water-soluble hop extract produces a superior product in water-based beverages — and that consumers can taste the difference.
HopXL developed a variety-specific water-soluble hop concentrate matched to Mare Island's desired flavor profile for a hop water product.
The brewer dissolved HopXL extract directly into carbonated water. No heating. No pre-dispersion. No supplemental pellets. The extract integrated instantly and completely.
The product was placed head-to-head against Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher in a blind format. Consumers tasted both without knowing which was which. The HopXL-based product won.
10 cases sold in a single weekend with no brand recognition, no marketing, and no prior relationship with the consumer base. Product quality alone drove the result.
Enter your real numbers. The calculator does the rest. Most brewers are shocked by the annual total.
Based on ~15% liquid absorption rate for dry hopping. Actual loss varies by hop variety, contact time, and vessel geometry. Does not include tank time opportunity cost or labor.
"HopXL is an amazing additive in lieu of dry hopping. I finally have my own formula and taste profile that my customers love because of the consistency. They know it remains exactly the same — every time."
"I don't have to remind people how daunting it can be out there for breweries. HopXL pretty much saved us by providing a better product and saving us thousands of dollars."
Tell us your batch size, your hop varieties, and your goals. We'll build a custom extract profile and let the beer do the talking.
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