Hop Talk

Beer is pretty simple. You mix a little water with some cereal (aka barley). Then you boil it and add the best ingredient ever! Yup you probably guessed it... (no not chocolate) it would be Hops! The Humulus lupulus, is the secret ingredient to good beer (translation: hops makes beer good). The beautiful flower to the right is called Centennial. Hops are used for three main functions. First they are used as a preservitive, it is also used as a bittering agent. One of my favorite aromas is fresh hops! These aromas spill over into the beer. The best part of a beer, is the amazing aroma when you first open a beer. Hops grow on a vine, kind like ivy that grows on the side of an old church.  So the next time you enjoy a cold brew, wallow in the bitter and aromatic goodness that is the Humulus Lupulus.