“I met with the devil at the crossroads and had to make a little deal,” says Ryan Coleman, founder of Richmond non-alcoholic (N/A) brand Hike Hopped Seltzer.
Until this past year, Coleman — who grew up in the Richmond area — worked as a location and scout manager in New York City for production companies including HBO, NBCUniversal, CBS and Fifth Season. Most recently, he worked on Apple TV+’s popular psychological thriller “Severance.”
When Coleman decided in 2021 that it was time to stop drinking, he knew the transition from his “work hard, play hard” lifestyle to a life of sobriety would not be easy. What he didn’t expect was how difficult it would be to steer clear of temptation, even on the N/A aisle.
“At the time you were seeing better versions of N/A beers which was awesome,” says Coleman. “But it was almost too much like the real thing.”
Big-name brands like Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon and Budweiser sell N/A brews with labels deceptively similar to their alcohol-filled counterparts. Some N/A beers (and other N/A beverages) have .5% alcohol, a negligible amount that feels not-so-negligible to those struggling with sobriety.
Coleman opted for various sparkling waters, but soon craved something with a little more oomph — sans booze of course.
“I started thinking about how my sister used to grow hops at her place in Powhatan and we’d put them in our beer to add this aromatic effect,” says Coleman. “I wondered if I could take those and put them in a seltzer.”
After a little research Coleman realized that hops + sparkling water = hop water, a trend that had already taken off on the West Coast.
While still living in Brooklyn, Coleman found a hop water recipe on a home brew site and got to work. By the time he, his wife and two small children moved to Bon Air in April 2023, he had perfected his formula, using Yakima Valley hops, and started an LLC.
“I was still working on TV and film remotely when the [SAG-AFTRA] strikes happened,” says Coleman. “I figured the shows would come back eventually, maybe I should test this idea out.”
Coleman says that working in the fast-paced, cutthroat world of film and television has prepared him for just about anything, including creating, branding and selling hop water as a one-man operation. “I’m really comfortable being in uncomfortable positions trying to convince folks I’m worth their time,” says Coleman.
After connecting with mobile canning company Iron Heart, Coleman found a production home for Hike at Frothy Moon Brewhouse in Williamsburg.
Since September 2023, Coleman has been able to insert Hike into a swath of local restaurants, venues, breweries and markets including: Hot for Pizza, The Camel, Ardent Craft Ales, Vasen Brewing, Ellwood Thompson’s and more.
You’ve likely spotted Hike in the wild, even if you weren’t sure what you were seeing.
“It was so hard for me to stop drinking with all the built-up muscle memory with alcohol marketing throughout my lifetime,” says Coleman. “I wanted to make something that didn’t try to taste or look like beer but did sort of still look cool and jumped out on the shelf.”
Hike’s tan cans boast an otter skull skeleton design and bubbly lime green lettering, inspired by Coleman’s interests in “skateboarding, punk rock music and ’90s nostalgia.”
This will be Hike’s first summer season on the market, and Coleman hopes his audience will only grow as the weather warms. He’s currently seeking out a production facility closer to home so he can expand his flavor offerings (grapefruit is on deck next), his can sizes and his packaging.
“I want to do the thing that beer companies and energy drink companies get to do but as an N/A brand,” says Coleman. “Why can’t I sponsor a music event? Especially if a lot of people are trying to make better choices or to represent people who have already decided [to be sober].”
As Hike grows, Coleman says he’ll be putting some of his profits toward organizations like Backline, which helps find mental health services for people in the music industry, as well as the Richmond Health Brigade.
“It’s very important to me to give back,” says Coleman. “I know how hard it can be for people because I’ve been there too.”
Follow Hike on Instagram for product updates and the latest happenings + get a taste of Hike at these summertime events:
· Thursday June 20: Fourth Annual Cozy Ol’ Brewgrass Festival at Riverside Outfitters
· Saturday July 27: The Veil Brewing’s Forever Summer Fest at Main Street Station
· Select Saturdays throughout the Summer: Fourth Season of PopUp RVA at The Diamond
· Aug. 21-25: 2024 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships in Lynchburg