Hops are a climbing plant of the Cannabaceae family, whose female cones, lined with a fragrant yellow powder, give beer its bitterness. Harvested in France and Germany, it brings to Bonheur Sucré Houblon Stévia Bio a fine, bitter note that, here, blends with sweetness.

Egyptian fennel and nettle from Ukraine, Slovakia, Bulgaria or France open the blend; lemon balm and ginger, prepared with raw cane sugar, follow, alongside hop flowers and stevia. Then come aronia, a small black berry from North America, whole verbena, star anise, immortelle flowers, rose petals and cornflower blossoms. The whole comes from organic farming.

When the sachet is opened, green and gold dominate, with a scent of honeyed grass. The golden liquor combines the rounded aniseed of fennel and star anise with the lemon of lemon balm and verbena. The hop reveals itself mid-palate, barely bitter, and is at once enveloped by stevia and ginger. The cup then takes on the character of a small evening dessert.

It is naturally caffeine-free and is enjoyed after dinner. The measure, 15 to 17 g per litre, gives a little over 3 g per cup; the water must reach 100 °C, and the infusion should last seven minutes, ten at most. It pairs with a thin apple tart, an aniseed biscuit or quince compote.

Our shops pack it into a sachet at the time of purchase; at home, an airtight tin, kept dry and in the shade, will take over.