Hops are the female flower cones of Humulus lupulus, a bine plant from the same family as cannabis. Don’t get too exited though, hops contain zero mood-altering properties – other than perhaps beery joy.
As one of the four main ingredients used to brew beer, hops are imperative for providing balance to an otherwise sweet, and somewhat one dimensional beverage. I like to think of hops as the not-so-secret spice of beer; they’re what really sets your pint alight.
Added to beer, hops have several benefits:
- They add flavor.
- Provide bitterness.
- Enhance the aroma.
- Improve head retention.
- They even have a natural preservative benefit.
Oddly, while hop growing is documented historically as early as the 8th century A.D. – they were not used to flavor beer until the 11th century. Prior to this, brewers used herbs and plants to flavor their beer. It was the discovery of hops preservative benefits that led to the widespread hopping of ales, and thus, modern beer as we know it was born.
The secret to hops potent effect on beer lies in the oily resin, which contains alpha and beta acids. Beta acids contribute to the aroma of beer while alpha acids provide different benefits when added to the boil at different times. Typically, alpha acids add bitterness early in the boil, flavor later in the boil, and aroma later on in the process. Additionally, alpha acids are the key to hops preservative characteristics.
Extracting the best from hops is part-art part-science; brewers will experiment with adding hops at different times, in varying quantities, and in many combinations before they achieve the desired result.
The type of hop also matters, as some hops are better suited to adding bitterness while others are more appropriate as aroma enhancers. Subsequently, hops are often broken down into aroma and bittering categories.
Aroma hops are higher in beta acids – making them more suitable for the job of enhancing your beers bouquet, but only when added late in the boiling process to preserve the delicate fragrance enhancing oils.
Bittering hops on the other hand are higher in alpha acids which have maximum impact when added earlier in the boil. Some, rather crafty little numbers, are able to serve as all-purpose bittering and aroma hops.
A quick note on dry hopping:
While most hops are added during the boil to impart their unique flavors, some brewers will add additional hops to certain beers after the boil through a process known “dry-hopping”. This method involves adding hops during fermentation, or to the final cask to increase hop aroma and flavor.
Common hop regions and varieties
The many hop growing regions across the globe each have their own distinct characteristics and benefits. Ranging from subtle and aromatic, to big and bold with a heavy perfume – there’s a whole world of hops out there to explore. Below are just some of the most common varietals to help get you get started.
German & Czech Hops
The 4 main traditional European hop varieties Saaz, Hallertauer, Tettnanger, and Spalt are known collectively to as the “Noble Hops”. They are famed for having low alpha acids and beautiful delicate aromas.
Though some may argue that other European hops also fall into the “noble” category the varieties listed above are the most common. Below are a few notes on each:
Saaz
A Czech hop grown near the town of Žatec, they’re famed for adding a clean floral and spicy aroma to traditional Pilsners.
Primary use: flavor, aroma
Hallertauer
Traditional German Hallertauer hops have a delicate bouquet of floral, earthy, and spicy notes.
Primary use: flavor, aroma
Tettnanger
Another German hop with a spicy, floral, and herbal quality on the nose.
Primary use: flavor, aroma
Spalt
A lightly spiced German number grown near the Bavarian town of Spalt.
Primary use: aroma
English hops
British hops are famed for their fruity, earthy, woody – even tea like characteristics. Below are a few of the more common varieties coupled with some new kids on the block.
Fuggles
Dating back to Victorian Britain, fuggles hops were once the most dominant variety in the UK. They are predominately used for aroma and flavor – look out for grass and floral notes.
Primary use: flavor, aroma, bittering
Goldings
A quintessential British hops, Goldings are native to the UK but are also grown in the US. Good for bittering and aroma they impart a sweet honey-like flavor and produce a wonderfully delicate floral, slightly spicy and earthy aroma.
Primary use: flavor, aroma, bittering
Challenger
A much newer variety introduced in 1972, challenger hops are a great all-rounder that produces excellent bitterness and a spicy, woody, and floral aroma with slight green tea notes.
Primary use: flavor, aroma, bittering
Northern Brewer
Produced in the UK during the 1930’s, Northern Brewer is now produced in many countries around the globe. The high alpha-acid content makes them great for aroma
Primary use: aroma, bittering
Target
A British hop released in the 1970’s – Target is an intense hop with excellent floral aroma. Popular for dry hopping.
Primary use: aroma, bittering
First Gold
First Gold is a modern British variety first developed in the 90’s. Look out for delightful orange citrus and spice aroma. The flavor is often of marmalade with floral notes.
Primary use: flavor, aroma, bittering
Endeavour
A brand new and exciting hop variety bred from a cross between Cascade and a Hedgerow Hop. It has a well rounded, fruity bitter character, with blackcurrant aroma and zesty grapefruit and citrus flavor.
Primary use: flavor, aroma, bittering
American hops
US hops are the fuel of the craft beer revolution. If new-world citrus zing and resiny pine is your thing, look no further than American hops.
Cascade
Cascade is the most widely used hop among American craft brewers; it is famed for its wonderful citrus and grapefruit character. A popular choice for dry hoping (more on this later).
Primary use: flavor, aroma, bittering
Centennial
Big citrus flavor and aroma with a light floral nose. Great for aroma and bittering this hop is sometimes called a super Cascade.
Primary use: flavor, aroma, bittering
Columbus
Sometimes referred to in the trade as Tomahawk, Columbus hops are a more earthy and spicy American variety, with subtle citrus flavor.
Primary use: aroma, bittering
Chinook
Herbal, earthy, smoky and piney with classic grapefruit additions.
Primary use: aroma, bittering
Citra
A cross-breed of many hop varieties released in 2008 and one of the most hyped hops in recent years. To be fair, it’s been hyped for good reason; the intense citrus and tropical fruit character is very distinct.
Primary use: aroma
Mosaic
One of the most recent additions to the American hop range, this aroma hop packs a spicy, tropical, and earthy nose, with just a hint of citrus.
Primary use: aroma
Amarillo
Like a souped-up Cascade, Amarillio hops are fairly sweet with a strong citrus, grapefruit, almost orange-like character.
Primary use: flavor, aroma
Australia and New Zealand
Hops from downunder vary from big, juicy and bright to earthy and woody. New Zealand hops are also largely pesticide free, due to the lack of pests and hop diseases.
Nelson Sauvin
A New Zealand hop with bright, white wine like juicy aroma and passion, lychee and melon fruit flavor.
Primary use: flavor, aroma, bittering
Galaxy
An Australian variety with strong citrus and passion fruit qualities; a real dual purpose flavor and aroma hop.
Primary use: flavor, aroma
Motueka
New Zealand hop with plenty of lemon, lime and tropical fruit notes.
Primary use: aroma, bittering