Hoplark HopTea Launches in Whole Foods Stores Nationwide

BOULDER, Colo.— Hoplark HopTea has announced its expansion into Whole Foods Market stores across the country. HopTea is the first sparkling tea brewed with hops to create a distinct flavor profile reflective of a common IPA — though without any alcohol.

The unexpected combination of Pacific Northwest-grown hops and top-quality tea was so intriguing to customers, Hoplark HopTea went from just selling pints at a farmer’s market in May 2018 to selling cans at approximately 480 stores across the country.

HopTea’s four distinct flavors offer a zero sugar, zero calorie substitute to a traditional high-calorie brew. HopTea is now available for sale in select Whole Foods Market stores throughout the US, online through the Hoplark website and in their Boulder Colorado taproom, which is open to the public on Saturdays from 1pm-5pm.

“After years of trial and error and hundreds of permutations, we’ve created a product that is challenging people’s palates and filling a void for consumers looking for a handcrafted complex beverage with no calories, no sugar, and no alcohol, ” Says Hoplark HopTea Co-Founder Dean Eberhardt. “It has been so rewarding to watch our customers fall in love with HopTea. We knew we made something we loved, but the response has been far beyond our expectations.”

During a health focused month without alcohol that led to the eventual loss of over 50 pounds, Eberhardt joined his best friend, Andrew Markley at a local brewery. It was at this moment that Eberhardt realized that he had been missing the ritual of sharing a drink with a friend. With creativity sparked, Eberhardt and Markley instantly began experimenting to create a substitute with the familiar hop taste that all brewery-goers could enjoy, without sacrificing a healthier lifestyle. After a two-year journey of careful research and experimentation, Hoplark HopTea was born.

From humble beginnings launching on the Denver farmer’s market circuit in May of 2018, HopTea is an unexpected divergence from the norm, not quite fitting into one beverage category. It stands on its own, encouraging customers to do the same. As the company continues to expand, founders Eberhardt, Markley and their growing team of employees continue to handcraft every can in their tea brewery in Boulder, Colorado.

Each HopTea flavor is a unique blend of organic tea leaves, Pacific Northwest-grown hops and sparkling water, resulting in a simple, premium product. As a naturally brewed tea beverage HopTea is void of calories and additives, with no alcohol content. Since launching in the spring of 2018, HopTea’s superior taste has already won several major industry awards including 2018 BevNet’s New Beverage Showdown and the 2019 Natural Product Expo’s Nexty Award for Best New Ready-To-Drink Beverage.

“HopTea is one of the most unique beverages we’ve tasted,” says George Daines, Global Beverage Category Merchant at Whole Foods Market. “The product falls right into many of the current beverage trends we are seeing around no sugar, zero calories, and hop infusions. We are thrilled to partner with HopTea to bring this innovative and delicious product to our Whole Foods Market customers across the nation.”

There are four distinct flavors of HopTea currently offered in Whole Foods Market stores: The Really Hoppy One, The Green One, The Calm One, and The White Tea One. In addition, Hoplark HopTea continually releases new experimental flavors at their brewery, which have included black tea with blueberry lavender and chamomile with honey and lemon. Each can of HopTea typically sells at a price of $2.99 per can.

About Hoplark HopTea

Hoplark HopTea combines the flavor of a high-quality cup of tea with the distinct aroma and flavor of Pacific Northwest-grown hops, guaranteed to intrigue tea and beer enthusiasts alike. Created by founders Andrew Markley and Dean Eberhardt, HopTea is handcrafted, canned and shipped from the Hoplark HopTea Brewery in Boulder, Colorado. HopTea is made with simple, real ingredients resulting in a product with exceptional quality that is gluten-free and void of additives. Each of the four flavors offer a zero sugar, zero calorie substitute to a traditional high-calorie brew. HopTea is available in your local Whole Foods store or online. To learn more please visit, hoptea.com.