Hoppy Beering: A Quick Primer on Hops Vines

I hate it when I read the description of a beer and I don’t know what it means. I figure this is usually the result of one of two things:
1, the person who wrote the description likes confusing me by using words to describe the beer that no one else would actually use because it makes them feel important; or
2, I still have a lot to learn about beer.

Part of the fun in appreciating wine or beer is understanding why drinks look or taste a certain way. Once you’ve figured this out, you can make good choices about what you want to drink instead of falling into the “I don’t like dark beers” category… That’s like saying you don’t like red wine; it’s more likely that you just don’t like certain kinds of red wine.

So where to start?

With beer, most of the taste comes down to hops. What we commonly know as beer hops are really the female flower cones of the hop plant (the scientific name is Humulus lupulus). The kind of hops used in brewing beer considerably influences the bitterness and aroma of the beer. Since hops is really a flower, when you hear someone describe a beer as “hoppy”, they’re usually picking up on the strong floral notes in the beer. And yes, you can really tell – this isn’t one of those misleading “you can taste a hint of peppermint together with a rare South African flower” type statements.

Different beers use different types of hops to control the flavor and in some beers, the brewers use a mixture of hops. Like with grapes in wine, the type of hops alone or in combination with other hops will result in differing tastes.

Also as with grapes in wine, where in the world you grow the hops will influence the taste. Not surprising, the top hops growing country in the world is Germany – followed by USA, China and the Czech Republic. German hops are also regarded as among the very best.

Unlike growing grapes, growing hops is surprisingly easy – and many gardeners actually use hops vines in their gardens. Hops vines are fast climbers and attractive to boot. Hops are also perennials, making them quite low maintenance; they come back in early spring after appearing to die off come fall.

Hops grow quickly – sometimes as fast as 1-3 inches per day. The individual vines can reach up to 50 feet – pretty impressive! The vines make great cover for pergolas, arbors, fences and other lawn structures – just like honeysuckle, clematis and grape vines. Due to the size and weight of the vines, a support system is definitely a must.

In the US, most hops vines are hardy in zones 4 through 8 (in Philly, we are a zone 6b – you can check your hardiness zone here). Hops are fairly drought tolerant (assuming that you’re growing them for looks, not taste) though they prefer a regular watering and soil with good drainage. The vines should be planted in full sun – with decent spacing to allow for rapid growth. When the vines stop growing, they produce a lovely light blue flower – the blooms usually show in early summer.

I’ve toyed with putting them in my garden for awhile yet – they are inexpensive and you get a lot of “bang” for your gardening buck. Colleagues have recommended mixing the plant with clematis for a pop of color. One year, I am going to get around to it.

I’m not patient enough to dry them for brewing – but that’s not the only use for the vines. Many gardeners use the vines to make wreaths and baskets. Gardeners, you know, are clever that way.

(Image: Newscom)