Stop Being Bitter: Why Hops in Craft Beers Are Much More

Oohhh, a seriously hoppy beer.?

Bitter on the taste buds, fruity and floral on the nose. Also, it has piney, resinous prof—stop! Hold it right there.

Before we continue gushing about how great hops are in making craft beers, let's talk about the two most important things they do.?

First, hops add bitterness to balance the sweetness of malt, which is the backbone ingredient of a beer. If there weren't hops in beers, they would taste overly sweet. And second, hops are typically the source of aromas and flavors many beer lovers enjoy, such as citrusy, floral, herby, tropical, and spicy.

So how exactly do these cone-shaped flowers of the hop plant give off distinct characteristics that make beers awesome??

A hop flower has these fascinating lupulin glands that are packed with acids and essential oils many craft brewers rave about. The acids are responsible for bitterness, while the oils emit aromas and flavors.?

See the sticky yellow clusters? Those are the Lupulin glands that contain the acids and essential oils. The bract leaves and bracteoles contain tannins, which ward of bacteria and fungi, and the strig pumps out polyphenols or the life-sustaining properties of the hops.??

In the brewing process, hops are added at various stages and for different amounts of time, depending on the beer style and brewer's recipe.?

The first addition is usually for bitterness during the early boil stage. Imagine you're making an afternoon tea—the longer you steep it, the stronger it will be.

In hops, the more you boil them, the more acids are released, and the more bitter they become.?

Next is the flavor addition when a second helping of hops is dropped. Finally, at the end of the boil is the aroma addition. The oils in the hops are volatile, meaning they can't take too much heat. That's why these hops are added in the last part.??

Dry hopping kicks up the flavor and aroma additions to another level without the bitterness. Instead of adding hops in the boil stage, they are soaked (again like tea) after the fermentation stage.?

Now that we've covered some of the basics of hopping, let's fly over some of the world's finest hop-growing regions. The climate and moisture levels in these locations create distinctions on the aromas and flavors of hops.?

Grown primarily in Germany and the Czech Republic, 'noble hops' like Spalt and Saaz are known for their mild bitterness and floral aroma. The Saaz hop is most notable for its use in Bohemian Pilsners, which have been derived to become the popular US-style lagers.?

Over in the United States, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are three of the most important growing regions for hops. Almost 100% of the hops in the US come from just these three states, which accounts for about 70% of the world's total production.?

At Engkanto Brewery, we import our hops from established US growers in the Pacific Northwest region. These hops are the source of the citrusy, fruity, and tropical aromas and flavors local beer enthusiasts enjoy in our award-winning beer line-up. Our renowned brewmaster, Michael ‘MJ’ Jordan, makes the selection of the hops, which he creatively develops for the local palate