Do you know your Citra from your Simcoe hops?

Hops grow on a vine at the Morrier Ranch in Yakima, Washington.

Beer aficionado Tony Rehagen here. I’m reporting from seat 29F on Alaska Airlines Flight 473 en route to Seattle, alternating between typing and savoring a Fremont Cloud Cruiser IPA. The refreshing, piney taste of this brew, combined with our Pacific Northwest destination and the season, brings one topic to mind: hops.

September marks the peak of the harvest season for US hops, with 99% of them cultivated in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Hops, or humulus lupus for the scientifically inclined, are one of beer’s four essential components—alongside malt, yeast, and water. In the US, they play a pivotal role due to their natural bitterness, citrusy and floral tastes, and earthy, often fruity scents. These characteristics distinguish the pale ales and IPAs, like the Cloud Cruiser, that spearheaded the Craft Beer Revolution and continue to top craft beer sales nationwide.