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What is Hop Harvest?
Learn about annual Hop Harvests and how these events became a cultural cornerstone of craft beer. Hop Harvest is a...
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When brewers pair hop varieties, it opens up an endless world of flavor and aroma! Sure, you can brew a wildly successful beer that highlights the unique features of one hop. The right hop pairing, however, creates dynamic flavor profiles that are oh-so enticing, memorable, and that stand out from the crowd.
Plus, Advanced Hop Products, like our Quantum Series and Omni Hop Profiles, give this previously laborious process a much-needed dose of simplicity. Replace weeks of trial-and-error to instantly experience the impact of a hop pairing by dosing extracts directly into packaged beer or carbonated water.
Ready to play mad (flavor) scientist with hop flavors and aromas? Learn more about the importance of pairing and discover five hop pairings that range from classic and traditional to bold and experimental.
Creating that perfect blend of hops is an art! It’s all about brewing complementary or contrasting flavor pairings that excite the palate and keep people coming back for more.
Every hop variety brings something different to a beverage. Some are dank and resinous, tropical and fruity, herbal and floral, etc. By intentionally pairing or blending multiple hop varieties, brewers can emphasize certain notes, soften others, and create a diverse flavor profile that’s beautifully balanced.
While Advanced Hop Products like the Quantum Series and Omni Hop Profiles don’t contain any acids, you’ll need to consider alpha acid content when incorporating whole hops and/or pellets. Alpha acids influence bittering and mouthfeel, which can greatly impact drinkability.
Honestly, there are a LOT of factors to consider, and it could take you a lifetime to “master” hop pairing. Don’t let that dissuade you, though! Here are a few simple strategies to get you started:
Our biggest piece of advice is to not overcomplicate it. We have no doubt there’s a brewer out there who can take even the unlikeliest duo of hops and brew something positively mouthwatering. So, go for it!
Try novel flavor combos, experiment with star-crossed hop varieties, and discover the next great hop pairing. Want a few ideas to get you started? We’ve got you covered.
If you love sipping on Hazy IPAs, chances are you’ve enjoyed the delicious combination of Citra® and Mosaic®. Released just a few years apart, craft brewers took an immediate liking to this combo and they’re still a hop power couple today.
Common aroma descriptors for Citra® include grapefruit, lime, orange, peach, melon, passionfruit, lychee, and more. Its wide range of tropical citrus aromas and balanced spicy woodiness are great on their own. However, something magical happens when paired with the robust blend of funky grapefruit, pine, and light florals of Mosaic®.
Think BIG fruit flavors with an emphasis on tropical citrus. The flavor combo is so good that brewers use it in everything from West Coast IPAs and Saisons to non-alcoholic beers and seltzers like hop water. Fair State Brewing Cooperative uses this pairing in their Citra & Mosaic Hop Water. The drink is described as “Intensely aromatic with notes of tropical fruits, dankness, and citrus.” ¹
This classic American IPA combo appeals to traditionalists and modern craft brewers alike. Simcoe® is pungent with dank notes of pine and fruits like black currant, berries, and tropical citrus. Chinook is uniquely aromatic with resinous pine, florals, and just a hint of pineapple. The harmony created when they come together? Perfection.
The dank fruit notes in Simcoe® are versatile, which makes it a hell of a team player when it comes to hop pairings. Sure, Chinook has a spicy personality, but the unique flavor synergy created when these two hops come together is incredible.
Think bold, juicy, and with a clean finish that’s perfectly piney without being overwhelming.
Yes, you’ll obviously get fruit when these varieties come together, but that’s just the beginning. They each have their own special funk that, when combined with their fruit notes, is deliciously complex.
Sure, Mosaic® can totally shine in single-hop beers with its unique florals, earthy pine, and various fruit notes. Think roses, bright grapefruit, and resinous, herbal pine. Strata® leans more into tropical fruit notes, but it brings a driving base of dank that adds a unique depth to the final beverage experience.
Ultimately, Mosaic® helps soften and round out Strata’s dank wild streak, while Strata® adds robust complexity. Together, these hops strike the ideal balance of bold and drinkable.
Sometimes more is more, and that’s what happens when you pair Azacca® and Motueka™. More tropical fruit, more citrus, more zest, just MORE. The result is refreshing, zesty, and versatile enough for several beer styles and non-alcoholic formats as well.
Named after the Haitian god of agriculture, Azacca® packs a sublime combination of citrus, tropical fruit, and delicate pine. Motueka™ is a New Zealand hop variety with a mojito-like hit of lime, sweet lemon, and delicate florals.
When paired, the zest of lime and lemon in Motueka™ adds emphasis and brightness to the tropical fruit of Azacca®. This is such a juicy combination that it makes a great addition to Hazy Pale Ales, IPAs, Saisons, Pilsners, and juicy Wheat Beers.
You already know Citra®, but Idaho 7® is the newcomer here to shake things up. Flexible and surprisingly sophisticated, Idaho 7® emphasizes and refines the already powerful citrus flavors in Citra®.
In one interview, Head Brewer at Hi-Wire Brewing Luke Holgate said that Idaho 7® “...checks a lot of boxes; hints of dankness, while still exhibiting tropical fruit notes and lots of citrus. We use it often with the showier tropical fruit hops to give a depth to the flavor and aroma. I feel like pairing it with a Citra or Sabro gives a fuller profile to the beer than just ‘tropical.’” ²
Along with its hit of resinous pine, the zesty citrus, berries, and stone fruit in Idaho 7® helps ground the brightness of Citra® for a well-rounded drink that’s smooth, balanced, and multidimensional.
At Abstrax, we provide novel solutions for beverage manufacturers of all sizes looking to streamline, innovate, and gain a competitive edge. With our knowledge, technology, and extensive resources, we’ve crafted our collections to provide recognizable flavors and aromas that consumers love.
Contact us today, and let’s create flavor pairings that turn your next beverage into a best-seller.
Hop Water - Citra & Mosaic. Fair State Brewing Cooperative. (2024, March 1). https://fairstate.coop/beer/hop-water-citra-mosaic/.
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