Local breweries are earning big money — but not with the usual drab and plain beers. Modern beer drinkers prefer a bit of flavor in their beer, and the fruitiest brews are often the most popular. But would you know which hops would work for the kind of flavor you want? Learn what hops to choose so you could buy them from providers like Hop Havoc and create the fruity flavor you’ve been dreaming of.
1. Lime
Citrus-flavored brews are one of the biggest driving factors for the craft beer revolution in the US and the rest of the world. Citra’s citrus and lime tones get a lot of credit as the new flavors sparked new interest in beer drinkers — putting craft beer into the limelight (pun intended). Although lime dominates Citra’s flavor profile, the hop also produces notes of grapefruit, oranges, and lychee. If you want a purer lime flavor for mojito-like brews, opt for New Zealand’s Motueka. It doesn’t have the citrusy tang of Citra, but its lime flavors are more distinct. Both hops work well with American IPAs, lagers, and pilsners.
2. Orange
Amarillo makes great orange-flavored brews. Its citrus flavors are strong, and the floral notes enhance the aroma without being too distracting. The UK’s Admiral is also a good hop choice. Admiral has distinct herbal notes like most British hops — giving your brews an orange ice tea flavor. If you want a strong orange flavor in your brews, try Germany’s Mandarina Bavaria. The Hop Research Center Hull’s new hop is bursting with tangerine, lemon, and lime notes. Amarillo and Admiral work well for the usual IPAs — however, Mandarina Bavaria is better suited for lagers and Belgian Ales.
3. Grapes/Wine
Grape flavors are more often associated with wine than beer, but a few hops have made their mark with their wine-like flavors. New Zealand’s Nelson Sauvin is often the first choice when it comes to wine-flavored brews. The hop evokes Sauvignon Blanc’s strong flavors), which can be overpowering to most beer drinkers. Germany’s Hallertau Blanc also produces similar notes, but it can be underwhelming if you’ve experienced the Kiwi hop. Go for an IPA if you want your brews to be more beer than wine, and lager if you want to highlight the wine-like flavors.
4. Peach
For the peach-flavored brews, Nugget is your best choice. Although Nugget is mostly used as a bittering hop, the hop also evokes distinct peach tones when used as a flavoring hop. Nugget brews can be on the bitter side, and pairing it with a citrusy-hop like Citra or Galaxy can bring out its peach flavors.
5. Passion Fruit
Australia’s Galaxy is considered Citra’s biggest rival. Galaxy is a purely fruity hop, evoking strong flavors of passion fruit and peach. Galaxy brews have the distinct sourness of passion fruit and rich tones of citrus. More discerning palates can find traces of pineapple and tropical fruits in the mix. Galaxy is widely available, and it is the most popular foreign hop in the US. Galaxy is often used on its own and works well with IPAs and Saisons.
6. Melon
Huell Melon is another great hop from the Hop Research Center Hull. It evokes strong flavors and aroma of honeydew melon and strawberries and milder notes of orange and vanilla. Huell Melon is often paired with a bittering hop because of its soft bitterness, or it can be used for less bitter brews like Belgian Ales and Saisons.
7. Bananas
Banana-flavored beer might be a stretch — but they can be some of the healthiest drinks. Germany’s Taurus is a strange hop that evokes flavors of bananas, chocolate, and curry. While the hop is mostly used for novelty brews, its high levels of xanthohumol are making knowledgeable beer drinkers do a double-take. Xanthohumol has been known to inhibit the growth of cancer, and recent studies also link it to a reduced risk of diabetes. Use Taurus as a flavoring hop if you want a taste of its banana chocolate curry strangeness — or use it as a bittering hop for more healthy brews.
8. Mango
Mango-flavored brews are rare — and most don’t get their flavors from hops. Citra comes close, but its mango flavors are buried underneath stronger notes, and only the most determined palates can catch a glimpse of mango. Most mango-flavored brews cheat by using mango purees. Of course, ordinary purees won’t do as the mix has to be free from contaminants and sealed in aseptic packaging.
Flavor is the battlefield, and fruity hops are your best bet in winning the favor of your patrons. Brew the fruitiest of beer by relying on the best hops for the job or maybe even cheat a bit with special additives.