Hops are arguably the most mysterious and least understood ingredient in beer. The plant that gives brewers the cone-shaped hop flower is borne of frosty nights and rainy days, and is among the first greenery to unfurl its leafy tendrils from the frozen earth in early spring. Coaxed from hibernation by the unrelenting progression of the season, this climbing perennial vine starts out slow, with tender shoots nestled among the old growth of the previous year; but by mid-summer, the hop vine is growing two feet or more per day!

Brewers began using hops over 900 years ago as preservative agent to ward off pesky bacteria during fermentation and storage. In what is recognized as the oldest food quality regulation in the world, the German Beer Purity Law of 1516 mandated that only water, barley malt, and hops be used in  beer making, curbing the use of inferior ingredients for preservation. Before hops came along, medieval brewers tried everything from soot to poisonous mushrooms in their quest to stave off spoiled beer!

Hops soon became renowned for their contribution to the overall flavor palette of beer, imparting varying degrees of bitterness, taste notes, and aromas that combine to balance out the sweetness of the malt.  Different beer styles exhibit their own distinctive hop signatures, ranging in intensity from the evenly balanced Cream Ale to the tongue-stunning India
Pale Ale.

Hopped-up beers bring the party to both your palate and your dinner plate. Zesty food is especially exalted when paired with the crispness of hops. Throwing a beer-themed tapas party is a fantastic way to explore the myriad of floral hop aromas and tastes across the spectrum of beer styles.   Pint-sized spicy Spanish appetizers partner perfectly with just about any assertive high-hopped beer.  Start out mild with a lively American Pale Ale alongside some deep-fried breaded calamari - then work your way skyward towards hop heaven with layer upon layer of savory flavor combinations: Czech Pilsner riding upon curried chicken kabobs; English Bitter Ale buttressed with goat cheese and pimiento bruschetta toasts; India Pale Ale teased by sautéed prawns with black pepper salsa and chopped chili peppers; and finally, top things off with a hearty dram of American Imperial Stout kissed by chocolate-espresso pots de crèmes infused with chili essence.

Celebrate the peculiar and ancient hop flower with good food made even better by great beer.  Salud!