Popular Varieties

But as demand continues to outstrip supply of the most popular hop varieties, companies such as Simply Hops are looking at the ways that they can further promote other hop types to breweries.

“So, why not try Equinox to replace Citra in the beer, while some of the new experimental varieties such as EXP431 offer those orange stone fruit flavours. German Comet and German Cascade are a fruit fest, and different enough to their US counterparts that you will find something new with which to brew. Australian Ella and German Mandarin, too,” he says.

Willetts also points out that the other geographies are also bringing through, and back, hop varieties.

“Endeavour is growing in popularity, but then there is Toyomidori which has lovely pineapple notes coming from it, UK Chinook, and the newly resurrected Bullion, not forgetting the greatest underdog of them all, Target. It was traditionally a bittering hop but now finding a place as a dry hop. People aren’t looking at these as they have a reputation of being unfashionable and for a certain use,” he explains.

“Remember that Citra was originally bred as a bittering hop, and look at that now. Target as a dry hop gives great mandarin flavour and it’s £6kg compared that around four to five times that on some of the bigger hitters. We are simply saying to people to give it a go.”

He, however, recognises that you are not going to get American flavours out of European hops, but you can get something different, instead.

“There are thousands of IPAs made from the same hops. Citra, Amarillo, Simcoe, Cascade, Centennial, Galaxy, and Mosaic.  The opportunity is for brewers to find a new beat,” says Willetts.

It is a sentiment shared by Russell Taylor, co-founder of Bucks-based XT Brewing, who also questions how all the new breweries opening will get by.

“We are now only allowed what we had before so it’s not like what we had in the earlier days. These days you get what you given, and with trendier hops, we only have what we own and what we ordered before, so with Amarillo we’ll get some but for Nelson Sauvin, no chance. The same applies to Simcoe, he explains.

“We try and keep stocks of the limited varieties. Then for others, we go to our suppliers and ask what is available and take it from there.”

Taylor, however, is understanding of the situation.

He says: “The harvest had a double kicking in 2015 as it was reduced with less coming out, despite more being grown. And with this, there is a more demand, with the home market is growing but this is coupled with a growing boom in craft beer in Russia, China, Brazil, Italy, and Spain. These are not hop growing regions so they are eating into existing supply lines.

“There will need to be more and more grown but I understand and appreciate it is a big investment. So for breweries such as ours, you have to do what you want to do and see how you go.”