By Stan Hieronymus Most discussions about hops naturally include bitterness. As well as hop oils, lupulin glands within the cone contain hard and soft resins and polyphenols. The soft resins include alpha acids and beta acids, both of which contribute to bitterness, with ...
By Stan Hieronymus Writing a manual on hops in 1877, British agricultural authority P.L. Simmonds praised those grown around the town of Spalt in Bavaria. “The products are of a high reputation, and are the Chateau Lafitte, the Clos de Vougent, and the ...
By Brian Yaeger Is beer not good enough? Has no one made pitch-perfect hoppy ale? I mean, what if in the evolution of brewing, we’re still at that part of the chart where we’re all just hunched over, early hominids—perhaps Austr-ale-opithecus—which is why ...
By Greg Barbera Atlantic Hops will hosting a workshop in Tarrytown, NY, on July 16 for those interested in sustainable hops production in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic....
By Greg Barbera Colorado seems to have no shortage of quality craft beer and Breckenridge Brewery continues to lay claim to the cause with this mighty double IPA....
By Rick Lyke For several thousand years, brewers made beer without hops. But truth be told, hops are what separate beer from wine, sake, mead, whiskey, tea, cider, brandy and most other beverages that count on one basic ingredient as a flavoring agent. ...
By Jay R. Brooks What does it mean to be green? Does it mean adding food coloring to your beer to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Does it mean, perhaps, being too young? Or too hoppy? If you’ve been conscious the last few years, you ...
By Randy Mosher We new brewers love hops. Sticky, resiny, pungent, citrus-drenched hops. It began as a reaction to the dumbing-down of mainstream beers, whose alpha acid levels are now about level with the human threshold, which is about 6 IBU (International Bittering ...
By Fred Eckhardt The bar at Widmer’s Gasthaus brewery-pub here in Portland, OR, was fairly crowded as I settled in to relax a bit before going home. The fellow next to me asked what I was drinking, I told him, and he said ...
By Randy Mosher One thing you can say for sure about the home- and craft-beer revolution is that it has elevated hops from a bit part to a starring role. Whether the hops are spicy, floral, piney, resinous, citrusy or herbaceous, American brewers ...