text: An American company claims to have invented a 'teabag' that can turn an ordinary pint of lager into a craft beer the same way  hot water is turned into brew . The Hop Theory 'beer-bag' contains a blend of hops, fruit peels and natural spices, and promises to turn light beer into craft after just two minutes of steeping. However, despite nearly reaching its crowd-funding target, the project has been criticised by professional breweries as being misleading about what constitutes as 'craft beer'. Scroll down for video . Transformation: The Hop Theory sachets promises to turn lager into craft beer in just two minutes . Hop Theory, based in Maryland, is nearing its $25,000 target on crowd-funding site Kickstarter to produce its first blend, claiming it will turn lager into 'craft beer' in just two to four minutes. Bobby Gattuso, who founded the company as a biology student in 2013,  hopes to revolutionise beer drinking. 'Craft beer excels in taste but it's expensive. Light beer is cost effective and low in calories but lacks flavour, and with Hop Theory, an average beer becomes craft.' Emily Williamson of independent brewery Cheddar Ales in Somerset, England, is sceptical to the idea of 'tea bag' beer. 'Firstly, adding hops, flavouring herbs, peels during the brewing process is about stabilizing those ingredients to make them safe for consumption. 'Secondly, and most importantly, the boiling phase is when your wort (the unfermented liquid extracted from the mashing process) concentrates, and flavours, aroma and balance are carefully adjusted  to create the complexity people of our beer drinking generation are after.' New drink: After a short infusion of two minutes, the blend of hops, dried fruit and spices will have changed the taste of a lighter lager into that on par with a craft beer . New ideas: The Relativity blend contains dried and ground orange peel, Cascade hops and ground coriander seeds, and is set to hit the market this summer . Ms Williamson adds that the claim that the Hop Theory sachets can make a lager taste like a craft beer could also 'mislead people'. 'To add a sachet to a pre-balanced, pre-made beer will only add a glimmer of the flavours available in traditionally made beers. 'For example our latest brew, Firewitch Spicy Farmhouse Saison, has had citrus peel in it for over two weeks, which really allows for a multitude of flavours to release into the brew. 'So, without tasting the product, I can only guess that it won't add anywhere near the depth of flavour that the actual brewing process can achieve as it's not inherent to the structure.' Hannah Rhodes, founder of Hiver beers, says: 'Good quality beer is more expensive because avoiding shortcuts and brewing naturally takes time, normally 3 to 6 times longer than that of it's mainstream competitors.' 'Here at Hiver, the honeys we source are fermented at the start of the process along with the cereals, and by not adding honey for flavouring at the end, you get a lovely crisp and refreshing finish and not something that's sweet or cloying or artificial. 'The entrepreneurs behind the Hop Theory have spotted a great opportunity and I honestly think, anything that encourages people to think more seriously about what they eat and drink and experiment with taste, flavour and quality, is a good thing, so I wish them the best of luck.' Their words are echoed by Durham Atkinson, owner of London craft beer pub and brewery Hops & Glory. 'In all honesty, I am not convinced that the attention to the brewing process in craft beer can be outdone in a sachet. 'The countless hours brewers spend watching their boil, trying and testing their beers and tweaking recipes and temperatures countless times I doubt can be solved by this product. I would however give it a go to see if a tasteless lager is improved by the sachet.' Reusable: Each sachet can be used in up to four beers, so keeps both costs and calories down . Guide: A graphic from Mr Gattuso's Kickstarter campaign describes how to use the Hop Theory sachets . Hop Theory's first blend Relativity contains dried and ground orange peel, Cascade hops and ground coriander seeds, with another four blends planned for this year - raspberry, pumpkin, double IPA and peach. Each 5g Hop Theory sachet can transfuse up to four beers, so one bag could keep the drinker going for a session at the pub. The first infusion will take between two and four minutes, but once the bag is wet, any further uses will only take about 30 seconds to transfuse, Mr Gattuso says. 'We have been meticulously fine-tuning the perfect balance of ingredients to create our first blend and are finally ready to begin production. 'Hop Theory is here to add customisation to the beer industry. 'There's only five calories in each sachet, so it improves a light beer without adding pounds or going penniless. 'It took a long time to create the perfect blend but finally Relativity was born and as our first blend, we think we nailed it. It is delicious and refreshing. 'No longer will you have to settle for what's being served or dream about the beer you could be having. 'We simply want to to give everyone control over how their beer tastes.' The first beerbags will be delivered in July this year, and 12 sachets cost $14.95 (£10).
target: Maryland start-up promises to turn lager into craft beer with 'tea bag'
  Infusion sachet contains a blend of hops, fruit peels and natural spices .
  After two minutes in a pint, the Hop Theory bag has created 'craft beer'
  Criticised by breweries for being misleading about what craft beer is .