Hops

New hop products turn up the volume while making “fresh” a year-round flavor.

Craft brewing may not be in expansion mode, but that hasn’t slowed the surge in hop-derived—or hop-inspired—flavor and aroma products for brewers to try. Here’s a look at what’s new and on the horizon.

While the Pacific Northwest has been cutting back on acreage amid an ongoing hop surplus, the international picture is more complex. Here’s a look at 2024 acreage in various countries versus the previous year.

American farmers won’t reduce acreage as dramatically as they did in 2023 and 2024, but the industry has yet to find a healthy balance. What’s it mean for brewers, in the near-term?

There’s a hop surplus now and a flush spot market, but that won’t always be true. What do hop merchants say brewers should be asking, to ensure quality and spend wisely?

In today’s hop-forward beers, whirlpool additions contribute many of the IBUs—yet the results are less clear-cut than adding to the boil. Research—some new, some not so new—may provide direction.

Brewer’s Gold established the viability of hybrid hops, and its offspring include some of modern brewing’s biggest aroma stars. Don’t call it a comeback, but Russian River is exploring what it may contribute today.

It’s rough out there—even for young, freshly developed hop cultivars. Yet while many brewers are buying fewer hops these days, the Help Wanted sign is still out for new ones.

Brewers share strategies for reducing costs on craft beer’s most competitive style.

As growers hunt for better visibility into the hop market’s future, researchers are looking into how brewing and growing practices might change in ways that directly affect the character of beer.