Sparkling tea cuvée HopHout from Firma Bruis wins gold and trophy
HopHout - credits Dylan de Graaf
Arina & Diederik met 3 thee-cuvées - credits Dylan de Graaf
HopHout-Gouden medaille - credits Dylan de Graaf
The sparkling tea cuvée HopHout by Firma Bruis has won a gold medal and the prestigious trophy for ‘Best Original Drink’ at the World Alcohol-Free Awards competition in London. The sparkling tea cuvée by Arina van Leenen and Diederik Beker won the awards at the largest global judging for alcohol-free products.
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Sparkling tea cuvée HopHout | Alcohol-free alternative to prosecco
HopHout (HopWood) is a sparkling tea cuvée in which chamomile flower, mint, jasmine, verbena and hops from the vineyard play the main role. The maturation in used wooden wine barrels gives the non-alcoholic drink its full-bodied structure. Arina van Leenen: “We are extremely proud of these international awards. 450 drinks were submitted from 21 countries. The fact that our HopHout was also awarded ‘Best Original Drink’ is the icing on the cake. The jury described HopHout as a fragrant, delicate and fascinating drink, an alternative to prosecco or sparkling tea and a good combination with dishes from the Chinese cuisine.”
Increased demand for non-alcoholic drinks
HopHout is made by Firma Bruis, the non-alcoholic label of the Betuws Wijndomein in Erichem, the Netherlands. Firma Bruis specialises in gourmet companions based on botanical ingredients. Betuws Wijndomein has been sustainably making quality wines from Dutch soil since 2004. The wines are annually awarded gold medals at the Wine Inspectorate of the Low Countries. Arina van Leenen: “Over ten years ago, we had the idea to use our knowledge of winemaking to make good non-alcoholic products as well. After all, times are changing and there is an increasing need for non-alcoholic drinks and especially as a gastronomic accompaniment to meals.”
Sparkling tea cuvée HopHout, VeldFlora and Wildkruid
Arina van Leenen continues: “We did not choose non-alcoholic wine, because during the process of de-alcoholisation, a significant amount of the flavour is lost. At the time, we started with Betuwse Bruis, two sparkling grape juices from grapes harvested early, which were previously still considered residual. This was followed in 2020 by the first of a series of tea-based sparkling cuvées (blends), combined with vineyard-rich ingredients. HopHout is enriched with hops, chamomile flower, mint, jasmine and vervein. This was followed by the rose-coloured VeldFlore (FieldFlora). The drinks are a great success and we sell them to both individuals and top restaurants. Our latest addition is WildKruid, a sparkling tea cuvée of fresh nettle and ginger combined with deep, spicy flavours like cardamom and star anise. WildKruid is a delicious accompaniment to spicy dishes.”
We previously wrote about Betuws Wijndomein.
Website: Firma Bruis
