The Complete Guide to Noble Hops
Posted by Sarah Buckholtz, September 2, 2022
We recently put together a guide for all of the hops grown in America and another for those found in the Southern Hemisphere. But while hops in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa are fairly new, we can’t forget about noble hops, classic European varieties that have been cultivated for hundreds of years.
Found mostly in Germany and the Czech Republic, the four noble hop varieties—Hallertauer Mittelfrüher, Tettnanger (sometimes referred to as Tettnang), Spalt (sometimes called Spalter), and Saaz—dominated hop production around the world for many years.
In fact, Germany held the record for the largest amount of hop acreage in the world, only overtaken by the United States in 2015, according to The Hop Growers of America 2021 Statistical Report. In 2021, the U.S. harvested the largest hop acreage at a little over 61k acres, followed by Germany at 51k, and the Czech Republic at 12.2k.
Even though “sexier” New World varieties such as Citra, Cascade, and even Nectaron have become extremely popular in the last decade or so, it’s important to remember that Old World noble hops are kind of considered hop royalty for a reason.
These are hops with history. Long heralded for their quality and consistency, noble hops can be found in some of the most iconic, classic beers.
As pillars of the beer industry, noble hops deserve a deeper dive. Let’s look at what makes noble hops unique and the characteristics of the four different varieties.
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The Complete Guide to All Southern Hemisphere Hop Varieties
Posted by Grace Lee-Weitz, September 1, 2022
Last week, we took a look at all of the hops currently grown in America, identifying the most popular along with common characteristics for each.
But hops are cultivated all over the world. And more recently, Southern Hemisphere hops have garnered a lot of attention.
Brewers love the more white wine-like flavors of Southern Hemisphere hops, ranging from citrusy to tropical.
They’re a perfect palette for beers such as pale ales, IPAs, and hazies. All of which dominate the limelight in the current craft beer industry.
Accordingly, new styles have even emerged to identify hops from these regions, including Australian Pale Ale, Australian-style IPA, New Zealand Pale Ale, and New Zealand-style IPA. In fact, in 2021, the Brewers Association added New Zealand-style Pale Ale and New Zealand-style IPA to its list of official styles for the first time.
Plus, just take a look at a very small smattering of breweries across the U.S. that have been known to use Southern Hemisphere hops: Other Half, Firestone Walker, Tree House, Trillium, Toppling Goliath, Ex Novo, and many, many more.
All signs point to Southern Hemisphere hops currently enjoying their moment in the spotlight.
So we are diving into why these hops have become so popular, some of the top varieties, and the specs behind all Southern Hemisphere hops.
Editor’s Note: This is part two of a three-part series covering hops across the world. For this piece, we’ll cover hops native to the Southern Hemisphere, but take a look at our Complete Guides to All American Hop Varieties and Noble Hops.
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The Complete Guide to All American Hop Varieties
Posted by Grace Lee-Weitz, August 22, 2022
Undeniably, hops are hot. Now more than ever consumers are clamoring for the tiny little green cones that give your beers their characteristic aroma and flavor. In the American craft beer industry, we feel very confident saying that hops are the hottest ingredient in beer at this moment.
But you don’t have to take our word for it. With American hops most popular and pronounced in IPAs of all varieties, let’s look at the facts:
According to recent NielsenIQ data analyzed by Bump Williams Consulting (BWC), hazy imperial/double/triple IPA dollar sales increased +128.7% to $33.3 million, more than doubling. And overall, IPAs still account for 46% of craft dollar share.
Last year, during its yearly roundup of statistics on the app, Untappd discovered that four of the top five styles fell into the IPA category, with American IPAs snagging the top spot with a total of over 7.2 million check-ins and New England-style / hazy IPAs not far behind with over 6.1 million check-ins. And just to give you some perspective, the American IPA category has held the top spot on this yearly list for the last eleven years.
As a brewer or brewery owner, we’re not telling you something surprising here. But armed with the knowledge that these beautiful bines are here to stay, it’s worth diving a bit deeper into the enormous breadth of hops at your disposal.
Editor’s Note: This is part one of a three-part series covering hops across the world. For this piece, we’ll cover hops native to America, but check out our pieces on Southern Hemisphere hops and European/Noble hops.
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