Hop Varieties

Hop breeders know what brewers and drinkers want: punchy, unforgettable fruit aromas. But how to deliver those efficiently and at the right scale? There’s the rub.

The brewmaster of Firestone Walker in Paso Robles, California, lays out the brewery’s methodical approach to blending hops for elevated flavors and aromas in distinctive IPAs.

As growers look to meet demand from brewers, here‘s a look at how the most-grown hops in the Pacific Northwest have changed in recent years.

Author Stan Hieronymus offers his thoughts on the past, present, and future of the hop industry, along with updates on recent research into hops-related process concerns like hop creep and reusing hops.

Hop growers are aware of trends, making their best educated guesses on future demand. From 2018 to 2019, here's a look at which varieties gained the most acres, and which varieties lost.