Beer Brewing

Warrior is my go-to clean bittering hop for any recipe where I want neutral, smooth IBUs without any flavor contribution from the bittering addition.

Nugget is the reliable bittering hop I’ve kept in my hop freezer for years because it’s nearly always available, relatively inexpensive, and produces consistent smooth bittering with a mild herbal character that works in a surprisingly wide range of

Hüll Melon is the German hop variety I reach for when I want intense melon character in a beer that still feels European rather than American craft.

Mandarina Bavaria is the German hop that changed how I think about using continental varieties in modern craft beer.

Vic Secret is the Australian hop that delivers the most intense pineapple character I’ve found in a non-specialty variety.

Ekuanot is the hop that gave my NEIPA the melon and berry complexity I was looking for after Citra and Mosaic produced a good beer that felt predictable.

East Kent Goldings is the hop that defines what I mean when I say a beer tastes “British.” I’ve been brewing English ales for over a decade and EKG is in nearly every one of them — the floral, earthy, …

Northern Brewer is the classic dual-purpose bittering hop that I associate with traditional American homebrewing from the 1980s and 1990s — it was one of the standard hop varieties before the explosion of specialty craft varieties, and it earned that

Fuggle is the hop that I associate more than any other with the character of traditional English ales.

Hallertau is the German hop that I consider the benchmark for noble hop character — the variety that all other European noble hops are implicitly compared to, and the one I use in Helles and Märzen recipes when I want …