Hop water won me over a few years back when I first tried a local brewery’s citrusy and refreshing hopped seltzer. A non-alcoholic beer alternative, hop waters maintain some of the slightly bitter, and well, hoppy flavors associated with beer–while remaining light and bright. They hit better than, say, sparkling water, when I want something crisp and refreshing without the alcohol. 

The hop water market is poised to keep rising in popularity with the continued consumer demand for low-calorie, non-alcoholic beverages. It only makes sense that this trend would overlap with other functional beverage movements, like the growing shift toward THC beverages. 

So when I heard about Fabric, a functional beverage brand that combines native Australian botanicals, hops, and hemp-derived cannabinoids, I had to give it a try. Given their Australian roots (their brewer is an Australian biochemist), the brand refers to its drinks the Aussie way: as “fizzies.” So let’s take a look at how these fizzies hold up. 

What’s in the cans?

I tried each Fabric variety, including:

• The green label, featuring lemongrass, galaxy hops, desert lime and 10 mg CBG; 
• The orange label, with galaxy hops, orange peel, pearl lime, 1.5 mg THC, 5 mg CBG, and 25 mg CBD; and
• The blue label, with galaxy hops, blackberry, lemon myrtle, and 10 mg each of CBD and THC. 

If you’re like me and don’t know what galaxy hops, pearl lime, or lemon myrtle are, we can learn together. According to my Google research, Galaxy Hops are a sought-after variety of Australian hops. They’re great for hop-forward pale ales, IPAs, and hazy beers. Native to Australia, pearl limes are little finger limes that feature caviar-like pearls and a bold citrusy flavor. Lemon myrtle is a popular herb native to Australia with fresh and tangy citrus flavors. 

Their branding of “Australian Hop Fizz” is certainly accurate, then. Each drink contains zero calories and sugar, making it a seriously light option, too. 

The Green Label: Clarity

This can contains 10 mg of CBG only, making it a non-intoxicating option that can still help with focus, mood, and calm. I tried this drink during the day while working at my desk, knowing it wouldn’t get me high. 

Just as the brand describes, it’s crisp and fizzy, with a unique blend of botanical flavors. As someone who already loves hop water, this drink certainly hit the spot. I think those who are already on the fence about hop water may find it a bit bitter for their taste, as it’s a prominent part of the flavor. But for me, it provided a nice bite complemented by the notes of citrus. Notably, I didn’t notice any earthy flavors I could attribute to the CBG. 

As far as effects go, I’m someone with a decent cannabis tolerance, so non-intoxicating cannabinoids typically don’t give me much of a boost. I did, however, have a solid work day after drinking this can and skipped my usual afternoon crash. 

There aren’t any universal dosage guides for CBG, but most of the recommendations I see suggest starting at 5-10 mg of the cannabinoid. This flavor would make a great starter option for someone interested in trying therapeutic cannabinoids without getting high. 

The Orange Label: Rhythm

Like its green-labeled sibling, the Rhythm Fabric flavor is crisp and refreshing. The citrus flavors really stand out in this one, and it was my favorite flavor profile of the batch. I served it chilled and had to stop myself from chugging it a few times. It’s just really, really refreshing. It tasted slightly less bitter to me than the green label, but still included a nice bite that I’d expect from a hop seltzer. 

Again, I have a high tolerance, so 1.5 mg of THC doesn’t do much for me. But combined with 5 mg of THC and 25 mg of CBD, we’re getting somewhere. I didn’t get high, but as the youth say, I reached a “genuine flow state.” I felt relaxed, balanced, and focused within about 30 minutes. (These fizzies are all fast-acting and can begin taking effect within 15 minutes or so.)

The Blue Label: Downtime

Like the others, this can was a fizzy, crisp, and bright delight. I picked up quite a bit on the berry notes and sharpness from the hops and myrtle. I tried this one after my day was done so I could enjoy my downtime as the can suggests. 

With 10 mg of CBD and 10 mg of THC, this flavor delivered a particularly calm and gentle high. It was noticeable, but I never had a moment of “oh shi…it’s hitting.” Instead, I felt like I had been lulled into a comfortable, balanced state with a few extra giggles. I noticed it had begun working about 30 minutes in, and felt the effects for at least a couple hours. Flow state achieved. 

My final thoughts 

I had high hopes for these drinks because of my affinity for hop water, and they didn’t disappoint. Each flavor is crisp, fizzy, and refreshing. I can think of multiple people I’d recommend the green label to, so they can enjoy the therapeutic benefits of CBG without getting high. I’d likely stick to the orange and blue labels for their more potent effects, but you wouldn’t catch me turning down any of these flavors if offered to me. 

If I could fish my wish for one change, it would be to add more THC to the orange label. This is just my personal preference as it was my favorite flavor, while the blue label had my favorite effects. 

As I mentioned earlier, if you’re not a fan of hop water, you might not care for these drinks as much as others. I still think they’re worth trying, if only to taste the unique Australian flavors they’ve infused into these beverages. 

And one last shoutout to the brand for doing what all good hemp-derived cannabis brands should be doing: including easy-to-find lab results for their products on their website.