Get to Know Your Favorite Hop | Motueka™

Discover the tropical, mojito-like flavors and aromas of Motueka™ and learn why it’s one of New Zealand’s most successful hop varieties.

This proprietary triploid hop is dual-purpose, ideal for ANY stage of the brewing process, and is bursting with… mojito lime flavors? Yes, you read that right! It’s bursting with main-character party vibes but can easily tame its wild side to deliver balanced bittering for other hops to shine. We’re talking about Motueka™!

Today, this southern hemisphere hop is the second most popular variety from New Zealand, and it’s not hard to see why. It has a new world “noble” aroma with a bright hit of lime, sweet lemon, and delicate florals that are a perfect match for several beer styles, beyond beer bevs, and so much more. 

Plus, New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research breeding program regards it so highly that they use it as the base hop in ALL their weekly brew trials. Their hop breeding lead, Kerry Templeton, put it best when he said, “If you don’t like Motueka, you don’t like hops.”

Thirsty for more? Read on and learn more about the origins, aromas, and flavors of Motueka™.

Motueka™ Flavor & Aroma

With moderate alpha-acid levels in the range of 6.5-7.5%, Motueka™ doesn’t quite have the same bittering potential as other varieties like Vic Secret™ or Galaxy®. That doesn’t mean it can’t be helpful in that regard, but when it comes to Motueka™, it’s all about those zesty aromatics.

You might be hesitant to believe in the “mojito-like hit of lime” that everyone talks about, but Motueka™ genuinely delivers on that claim. A complex blend of zesty lime, florals, and sweet lemon gives this hop a tropical citrus-forward flavor that’s almost candy-like. Some whole Motueka™ hops have even been described as having fresh herbal notes reminiscent of basil and rosemary.

Unsurprisingly, one of the most popular characteristics of this variety is its adaptability. It can successfully be used in all brewing phases, it’s phenomenal in a single-hop brew, and it can always be a team player when the brew calls for it.

Jude La Rose, cofounder of Chicago’s Hop Butcher for the World, explained to Craft Beer & Brewing, “If you were to make a beer and feature just one hop that can entirely carry the character of the beer ... Motueka can do that. But if you’re looking to add some complexity or edge, or another kind of ‘color’ to the aroma-flavor palette, Motueka can do that — it has no problem taking a back seat and brightening up or augmenting whatever is around it.”¹

Pairing Motueka™ with varieties that have resinous flavors or tropical aromatics is almost always a winner. We’re thinking dank Simcoe® or fruity Nectaron®, but Citra®, Galaxy®, and El Dorado® are commonly paired with Motueka™ as well. 

Before Motueka™, It Was 87.14-20

Before it was the second most popular New Zealand hop variety, it was known as B. Saaz. Before that, it was called Belgian Saaz, and before THAT, it was known by a number designation. You know what… let’s just start at the beginning.

The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, previously known as Hort Research, crossed Saazer with a New Zealand breeding selection and created the triploid aroma hop that would eventually become Motueka™.²

Hop Alliance explains, “During selection and breeding trials, Motueka was first known by a number designation, 87.14-20. Then, while brewing trials were going on, a Belgian brewery took a real liking to the new hop, and it gained the nickname Belgian Saaz.”³ Belgian Saaz was released in 1996, but it would later be shortened to B Saaz to avoid confusion. In 2007, it underwent another rebrand and was renamed after the Motueka area of New Zealand. 

This region is located on the South Island, near the Motueka River on the shore of Tasman Bay. Aside from the prized hops grown in the area, this prominent agricultural region is known for its apple, pear, and kiwifruit orchards. It should be no surprise that the area is known for the mouthwatering terroir it infuses into its hops. Think tropical fruit, florals, and bright citrus — sound familiar?

Motueka™ Beyond Beer

We’re pretty much always on board to enjoy an IPA, Pale Ale, Pilsner, or Lager with all the goodness of  Motueka™. That doesn’t mean other beverages won’t benefit from the unique aromatics of this hop variety.

Sure, an NA beer immediately comes to mind, but the candy quality of those zesty lime notes would make a beautiful addition to the big, wide world of hop water. These sparkling water beverages can feature single hop varieties, a blend of hops, or be infused with the flavors of fruits and botanicals for unique bevs that blow people’s minds. We’re already thirsting over the idea of hop water infused with other juicy fruit flavors like Clementine or Honeydew.

This is just the start. You could complement the bright, zesty notes of Motueka™ with dank cannabis aromas in an infused beverage. Tropical Pineapple Express immediately comes to mind, but gas-forward King Louie XIII would create a complex flavor that begs for another sip.

That’s the great thing about Motueka™! Its flavors and aromas are so versatile that it could easily find itself at home in a ready to drink cocktail or functional beverage, and its candy-like quality would be the perfect solution to punch up the flavor of a sugar-free beverage.

Plus, brewers can “tweak” the flavor profile of our MKA Quantum Profile to create a customized hop extract. Want to turn the volume up on the subtle florals? Prefer louder tropical aromatics? With customized hop extracts, brewers have complete control over the final flavor and aroma.

Abstrax Hops | Brew the True Flavor and Aroma of Motueka™

Is anyone else suddenly thirsty for something with a bit of zest? Perhaps with delicate floral notes and a tropical twist? We know we’re not alone, so get started brewing with the authentic flavors and aromas of Motueka™!

Unlike traditional hop extracts, our Optimized Hop Extracts offer varietal-specific flavors and aromas with no alpha acids and no undesirable plant compounds that can gunk up your tank. They also have a 100% utilization rate, they don’t require carriers, they offer logistical cost savings, and there’s zero “hop creep.” 

Want profiles derived solely from hops? Our Quantum Series completely reflects the hops that go into the process in a way no other hop extractions do. Just remember that hop-derived means limited supply, so act fast.

Contact us today, and let’s get you brewing with the deliciously bright and zesty flavors of Motueka™.

1. NZ Brewing. (2023, August 31). Brewers Tell All: Superdelic & Motueka Bring the Flavors. Craft Beer & Brewing. https://beerandbrewing.com/superdelic-and-motueka-bring-the-flavors/
2. A Smart Green Future. Together. Plant & Food Research. Plant & Food Research. (n.d.). https://www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/
3. New Zealand MotuekaTM. Hop Alliance. (2022, September 26). https://hopalliance.com/blogs/news/new-zealand-motueka