Hop Selection

It’s not your imagination: Hazy IPA tastes better than ever. Today's brewers, by sharing ideas and taking advantage of the best hops and other ingredients they can find, are continuing to innovate and push the style into increasingly flavorful—and increasingly drinkable—territory.

Brian Hutchinson, cofounder and brewer at the Colorado brewpub that’s won a slew of medals for its hop-forward beers over the past 13 years, details their approach to achieving high-impact flavor and quality at small scale.

Brewers may speak wistfully about rubbing hops at selection—but for Dan Brouillette at Omaha’s Lumen, what stands out in the rub isn’t always the best hop for the beer.

Whether it’s selecting very different lots of Nelson Sauvin or trialing new hop products to see what they can contribute, North Park founder and head brewer Kelsey McNair says he’s always looking for ways to squeeze in more hop flavor—but without leaving the realm of the familiar.

From hop selection to dry hops, finishing gravity, and mouthfeel, Other Half cofounder and brewmaster Sam Richardson isolates the key elements of their popular, year-round imperial hazy IPA.

Oakland, California’s Ghost Town made a splash in 2021 and 2022, winning back-to-back GABF gold medals for their Nose Goblin Imperial IPA, along with notable 2022 medals in the strong pale ale and India pale lager categories. One of their secrets, of course, is hop quality—but the qualities that head brewer Justin Burdt seeks out aren’t exactly the ones you might think.

The hops you select don’t always bring what you loved about them to the finished beer. Hop Butcher for the World cofounders and brewers Jude La Rose and Jeremiah Zimmer explain how Cryo hops, blends, and process tweaks can help you nail that target.

Know what you’re going to get from the hops you have. Tim Sciascia, cofounder and head brewer at Cellarmaker, explains their approach to choosing hops and why they like certain varieties in the boil and others on the cold side.

Pinthouse’s Joe Mohrfeld explains his technique for rubbing and evaluating hops to seek out the aromas and flavors you want in your IPAs—and to avoid those you don’t.

Pinthouse’s Joe Mohrfeld discusses different forms of hops—from whole leaf to Cryo—and why the best hops available might not be the best for your own beers. He also explains a technique for getting the most out of harvest-fresh wet hops.

Join Pinthouse Pizza Brewmaster Joe Mohrfeld for a master class in getting the most out of hops to brew highest-quality, aroma- and flavor-forward IPAs.