Let's Talk About HOPS in IPA Beers

*Originally published January 2026*

Have you heard, or maybe had, a conversation like this?

"Can I have something without hops?"

"Oh they all have hops in them. That's part of what makes them beer. Here, try Hazy Not Lazy."

"Oh that tastes great. It must not have many hops in it."

"Actually, there's a ton of hops in that beer. It's probably one of our hoppiest."

Many people think of hops as a one-note thing, something you add to beer like a spice. Almost like cinnamon in a cake. But it's an entirely different story.

Hops are the flower from a bine (that's no typo; a bine, not a vine) in the same plant family as hemp and yes, even marijuana. But there's no benefit to smoking this one. The main benefit from hops is in the lupulin (a sticky pollen-like substance between its leaves). This is where the magic happens, giving beer the bitter, sometimes floral, sometimes peppery, sometimes dank flavor that IPA lovers recognize.

There are over 250 varieties of hops, with more being developed and bred every year. A balance of different compounds in the plant determine what flavors make their way through to a finished beer.

-West Coast IPAs are known for hops that evoke citrus, pine, and resin.

-East Coast IPAs often use hops with tropical, stonefruit, and other "juicy" flavors.

-English IPAs and other European beers favor some of the first hops ever commercially cultivated, called "Noble Hops," with flavors like pepper, spice, and even floral notes.

-New to the game, New Zealand hops provide sweet grape and passion fruit flavors. In short, if you can think it, there's probably a hop for it.

How bitter a hop is, or how much bitterness we're able to get out of it, is an entirely different factor than its flavor. In addition to lupulin, Alpha and Beta Acids are present in all hops in different amounts (amongst a multitude of other compounds, but that's a bit beyond our scope). The amount of these acids determine how bitter they can make a beer, but only if they're boiled. A typical beer is boiled for 60 minutes. The earlier you put the hops into the boiling liquid, the more bitterness you can extract from them.

Pretty simple, right? But that also explains how some beers can be so very bitter with only a moderate amount of hops, while others can have an absolute boatload of hops but be not bitter at all. Some beers even have hops added after the boil is over (called post-boil hops) or while it's fermenting (called dry-hopping the beer).

So whether you're an IPA lover or hater, hops have a part in your beer and its bitterness. They're an important part of the process, and (unless you're drinking seltzer) they're in every beer we serve.