on , horehound , spruce tips , gooseberries and heather among many others . You ’ ll still find heather ale brewed in Scotland as it grows plentifully there in late summer . Hops are pine cone-shaped flowers which are found on a fast-growing vine . They can only be cultivated in cool , wet regions loosely located along the 45th parallel in both the northern and southern hemispheres . This location provides the cool climate needed for these bitter babies to thrive . Originally cultivated by Baverian monks in the later centuries of the first millenia . It took several hundred years before hops beat out other bittering botanicals to become one of the primary ingredients of beer . Hops had some advantages over the others . Hops are very potent requiring less volume for bittering and they also have antimicrobial properties which helps to prevent spoilage , thus keeping beer fresh longer . Eventually all of Europe , even Ireland and Scotland where they don ’ t grow , was using these mighty flowers in their beers . It was in the 16th and 17th centuries hop cultivation really started expanding throughout Europe and the new world becoming a very profitable crop . It is also about this time when we start seeing laws requiring the use of hops in beer making , assuredly driving its growth and cementing it as the beer flower . As hop cultivation moved throughout the world , each region developed its own varieties . German hops are grown in the Hallertau region of Bavaria , an area just under 70 square miles that is considered the largest continuous hop-planting area in the world . Together with the Zatec region of the Czech Republic produce what is considered the “ Noble Hops .” Called noble because they were the original hop varieties grown there by monks in the middle ages , these are the classic hops used in all the Bavarian and Czech lagers and wheat ales . If a brewer were to recreate one of these classic styles , these hops would most certainly be used . They have an earthy , herbal , spicy , and floral quality that can really dry a pilsner beer just enough to make you thirsty for another sip . English hops are very grassy , woody and minty . Mild flavors that really go with the artfully balanced beers served on cask in the pubs of Great Britain . Australia and
New Zealand are new to the hop production scene but their varieties have quickly stood out in the beer world . These hops really are exotic with fruit flavors such as peach , orange , lime , melon , passionfruit , and even wine flavors . A nice benefit to these hops is that , being from the southern hemisphere , they are harvested in March as opposed to the mid August-September harvest everywhere else . This basically adds a second harvest to the hop market , giving the supply chain a boost . Today the US produces more of the world ’ s hops than any other nation . Also , thanks to our breeding program and the insatiable needs of our craft brewers , we produce the largest and most diverse variety of hops in the world . Due to this
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