Tag: hops
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Fresh Hop Season: The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer
“What exactly is a fresh hop beer?” you might be wondering. Don’t all beers have hops? What makes it fresh? If you aren’t sure what fresh hop is, we envy you, because you get to experience the joy of discovering it anew. Fresh hop season comes but once a year, but what a glorious season…
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Malt Matters: Beer’s Real Main Ingredient
Thanks to the IPA-driven American craft beer revolution, hops tend to get all the attention. However, there’s a lot more to beer. Beer is, at its most basic, just fermented water and cereal grain. The most common grain in beer is malt, and yet it is also the most often overlooked ingredient. Water matters, of…
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When it Comes to Craft Beer, Do IBUs Matter?
If you enjoy craft beer, you’ve probably encountered a can or two that lists the IBUs. Craft beer enthusiasts love their stats, and IBU is one of the most common ones besides ABV (alcohol by volume). IBU stands for “International Bitterness Units.” It tells you how bitter a beer is, although it’s not exactly an…
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How are Hops Grown?
We all know that a primary ingredient in beer, especially craft beers, is hops. But where and how are they grown?Hop plants are actually vines and are fairly widespread and grow in temperate climates throughout the world. The key part of the plant is the flowers. These give beer its trademark bitter notes. The vine-like…