Fredericton companies collaborate to create new line of hop teas

Two companies in Fredericton, N.B., are joining forces to create a hoppy experience.

Rabbittown Beverage Co., a specialty craft beverage retailer, and Grimross Brewing, a craft brewery, are launching a new line of non-alcoholic hop teas. 

Stefanie Loukes, the founder and owner of Rabbittown Beverage Co., says the new line of teas will offer four flavours to choose from, leaving a tasty experience for everyone.

“Orange blossom oolong, we have a green tea coming, a white tea, and an herbal tea," she said. "So, we're going to cover every demographic. There's caffeine, there's no caffeine. There's all kinds of unique and different hops."

Loukes says experimenting has been key to getting the flavours just right before multiplying the measurements to go in the big batch beer fermenting tanks.

The alcohol-free products are expanding options for consumers who like the taste of hops, usually found in beer.

"We both want to do something that provides people with the taste and aroma of hops but is more healthy than beer,” said Dawn Vincent-Dixon, the co-owner of Grimross Brewing.

"Our biggest push at Rabbittown Beverage Co. is to focus on the sober curious,” Loukes said.

“We love a drink just as much as the next guy, but we also enjoy a beverage without the pressures of alcohol. So, if I want to go to a barbecue or a ball game and I want to be able to have a flavour that I love, which is the hops, but also pair it with the tea, which is a perfect base for any beverage."

The new hops teas will also have even healthier options.

"I was pretty adamant that we have sugar-free options,” Loukes said.

“A lot of the folks that try our Rabbittown sweet teas know, we had a lot of folks who are keto, or diabetic, or have cancers, and we wanted to cater to that audience, but we wanted to combine the two things we love most which is hops and tea,” she said.

"There's so many people that would have an interest in this, but definitely people who like the taste of beer, like their hops but once and a while they just need a break,” Vincent-Dixon said.

The partnership between the two was organic. Loukes has done graphic design for Grimross Brewing and Grimross with the infrastructure for major production and canning.

Now, they're stirring ideas to grow the business even further.

"We want to get that distribution to all over Canada. Currently we're really in Fredericton, N.B. We want to expand into Atlantic Canada which will make a huge difference,” said Cassidy Hilworth, the director of operations at Rabbittown Beverage Co.

“But we also want to be a drink that people recognize that people want to drink coast to coast,” Hilworth said.

The companies plan to start filling fermenters with hops tea later this month.