The Bitter History of Beer’s Most Essential, Divisive Ingredient

Beer man Tony Rehagen here. I’m coming to you from seat 29F on Alaska Airlines Flight 473 to Seattle, typing between sips of a Fremont Cloud Cruiser IPA. The crisp, piney brew, the Pacific Northwest destination and the time of year have me thinking about one thing: hops.

September is the height of harvest season for US hops, 99% of which are grown in Washington state, Oregon and Idaho. Hops, or humulus lupus if you want to get taxonomical, are one of the four basic ingredients of beer (along with malt, yeast and water), and in America they might be the most important. The plant’s natural bitterness, citrusy and floral flavor, and earthy and often fruity aroma are all prominent features of the pale ales and India pale ales (IPAs, like my Cloud Cruiser) that helped launch the Craft Beer Revolution and continue to dominate craft sales across the country.