9 Things You Didn’t Know About Hops

Flavorful, delicious, and bitter, hops have become an essential ingredient in nearly all of your favorite beers out there. But what do you know about the hop flower that changed beer forever? Check out these 9 things you (probably) didn’t know about hops:

1. Dank cousins

You aren’t crazy if you think that really hoppy beers and cannabis have similar aromas and flavors. The two are actually related! Both stemming from the Cannabinaceae family, they share a class of organic compounds called terpenes which provide those citrusy, earthy, skunky notes.

2. Old, but not THAT old

Hops were first cultivated in the year 736 in what is now Germany, but they weren’t used in beer until more than 300 years later! Compare that to the first beer, which dates back to 5,000 BC. So for about 6,000 years beers were brewed without hops! How did they live??

3. Pacific Northwest or bust!

Like grapes for wine, hops are picky about where they grow. That’s why most of the hops used in the United States is grown in the Pacific Northwest. And by most I mean nearly 98%! Outside of the United States the 2nd leading producer of hops is — you guessed it — Germany.

4. Alpha for bitter, beta for aroma?

Two of the fundamental chemical pieces that make up hops are alpha and beta acids. Alpha acids, also called humulones, are responsible for the bitter taste you find in all of those big IPAs you love. Beta acids, or lupulones, contribute to the aroma of beer.

5. Nobility

European varieties of hops are often known as noble hops. Some strains of noble hops are Hallertau, Saaz, and Spalt. These hop varieties are low in alpha acids, and high in beta acids, leading to them being less bitter and more aromatic.

6. All the single ladies

Male hop plants play an important role in breeding specific varieties of hops, but it’s the female plants that are the real money makers. Female hop plants produce the flowers that get harvested and end up making their way into beer. No males allowed!

7. Bines not vines

While hop plants grow by climbing up trellises, they are technically bines, not vines. What’s the difference? Vines send out little tendrils that latch onto trellises (and whatever else they can find) for support. Bines, on the other hand, use the shoot alone, growing clockwise around a support structure to follow the sun.

8. Patience is a virtue

Just like grapes for wine, it usually takes around 3 years for a hop plant to reach maturity, so planning ahead is crucial. Not to mention someone has to tend to those baby bines during that whole time before they can harvest and brew!

9. Reach for the skies

When provided with the right trellis structure, hop plants grow up to be big and strong. And I mean BIG. It’s not at all uncommon for mature hop plants to grow as tall as 18–20 feet!