Stan Hieronymus

Edelstoff: A beer fit for a hop queen

Did I mention the Edelstoff from Augustiner was from the wood, and a lot cheaper than beer at Oktoberfest in Munich?

Veronika Springer, Hallertau Hop Queen

Last week Veronika Springer was crowned Hallertau Hop Queen (Hopfenkönigin) for 2011-2012. I didn’t vote for her, but she received 62 percent (1,478) of the votes. The Wolnzach Volkfest tent was rocking, packed with hop farmers and friends washing down traditional festival food with liters of Augustiner.

Veronika Springer, Hallertau Hop Queen

The new queen is well qualified, having grown up on a hop farm and currently working at NATECO2, an extraction plant where hops are the biggest part of the business. She didn’t get my support, or that of several of the brewmasters I was seated with, because she seems to be skeptical about the future of “flavor”1 hops.

Change is afoot in Germany and these are brewers who want to be part of it. That doesn’t mean they are about to abandon tradition, but it does mean the range of flavors from Halltertau hops will soon be broader.2 The crew at the Hop Research Center at Hüll is not interested in copying American hop flavors, but I was there maybe three minutes before I thought, “These guys are not going to be left behind.”

1 With the line between what were once known as “bittering” and “aroma” hops already blurred — and the term “dual purpose” just not cutting it — I’m not sure how the idea of “flavor hops” will fit in, but I heard those words in the UK, Germany and Czech Republic. These could also be called “impact hops.” To the continental palate Cascade is a “flavor” hop; while you’ve got to throw something like Citra or Simcoe at an hop-experienced American for impact. Sound confusing? At least you don’t have to sort it out for a book.

2 These hops are also going to show up in beers brewed in America. I can’t wait.

And the band played on

Session #55 theme: Fabulous beer art

The SessionCurtis at HopHeadSaid has asked us all to write about “fabulous world of beer art found on coasters, labels and caps” for The Session #55. The basics:

  • Choose your favorite label, coaster or cap art.
  • Scan, download or take a picture of your label, coaster or cap art.
  • Write a paragraph that explains your affinity to your entry. Your explanation can be as shallow as or as deep as you want.
  • If the brewery name or beer name is obscured be sure to label your entry to give credit where credit is due.
  • Please limit your entries to commercial examples. Homebrew labels will be a topic for another session.
  • Extra karma points will be awarded to those who write about two or more categories (label, coaster or cap art).
  • Post your blog entry on or before Friday, September 2, 2001 and e-mail your link to curtis [at] hopheadsaid [dot] com.

    • Plenty of options. I don’t think I’ve ever shown you the Hieronymus beer label we own. Or our collection of Sierra labels. I suspect, however, I’ll end up scanning a coaster. Coaster memories more often reflect context. The terroir of the moment.

    Another sign of Lupulin Shift?

    Lupulin Shift

    It’s been several years since Russian River Brewing co-founder Vinnie Cilurzo introduced the notion of “Lupulin Shift” and, in fact, he was talking about graduating from very hoppy beers to still hoppier ones.

    I thought of this today as I was catching up on my reading, in this case an interview with Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing from Shanken News Daily. In it he reiterated what we already knew: Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA is hot, with sales up 40 percent this year.

    Just like at New Belgium, where Ranger IPA has lead growth and the well known Fat Tire Amber Ale has become a little bit less of a flagship. According to Impact Databank, Fat Tire accounted for 70 percent of New Belgium sales in 2008, 67 percent in 2009 and 60 percent in 2010. The biggest change last year was the introduction of Ranger IPA. New Belgium sold more than 50,000 barrels of it in 2010, 8 percent of production.

    Sales of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale grew 1 percent in 2010, while overall production increased almost 9 percent (to 779,000 barrels). Thus, SNPA accounted for more than 76 percent of sales in 2009, and less than 71 percent in 2010.

    A sign that a wider population of beer drinkers is now following a path littered with hop cones?