These days, craft beer is growing in popularity everywhere in the world. Different hops from differentcountries are getting recognized for their distinct tastes, and even whole continents have their favorite hops. Here are some of the most sought-after hops in the world:
Australia
If its craft beer down under, it has to be Galaxy. Galaxy hops are the most popular beer hop in Australia. Even in other countries, particularly the U.S., Galaxy hops are considered as one of the top hops. Galaxy hops are one of the most widespread and readily available hops due to high production yields and Australia’s keen export practices. Galaxy is a multi-purpose hop, and it is suitable in every stage of the brewing process. Galaxy hops have a purely fruity and citrus character. There are no traces of spice, earth, or floral tones to distract from the flavors of passion fruit, peach, and citrus.
Europe
If you think European beer, Germany’s Oktoberfest easily comes to mind. Germany’s love for beer—big enough to make a huge festival of it—has infected most of its European counterparts. Hallertau hops are one of their most popular beer hops, though tragedy almost wiped out the whole variety in the 70s. Hallertau is one of the four noble hop varieties together with Saaz, Spalt, and Tettnanger. It is very aromatic with floral and earth tones with a bit of spice. It produces a smooth bitterness perfect for German lagers and Pilsners.
North America
The hop that sparked the most interest and helped grow the craft beer movement in the U.S. is the newcomer Citra. In the ten years after its introduction to the market, Citra has become one of the most recognizable and most sought-after hops in the U.S. and the rest of the world. Citra is purely fruity with strong citrus tones. Its distinct citrusy flavor garnered it the gold medal in the 2008 World Beer Cup. Though it can be quite bitter when used as a bittering hop, as a flavoring hop, no hop comes close to the levels of citrusy flavors and aroma that Citra provides.
Africa
Though recent developments have made South African hops difficult or almost impossible to come by, there was a time when African hops were some of the most sought-after hops. Southern Passion was one of these hops, together with African Queen, Southern Aroma, Southern Star, and many others. Southern Passion has a flavor profile that is both fruity and spicy, something like a cross between Galaxy and Hallertau. It performs admirably as both a bittering hop and a flavoring hop. It is often combined with other hops to create unique combinations of flavors.
In the end, the love for beer spans multiple continents. Different continents can produce many varieties of hops, but advances in modern society have allowed easier access to hops from faraway lands. A simple click on your computer or phone can give you access to a whole new world of hops to enrich your experience in craft beers.
