New Hops to Brew With
Anchovy hops? Are you kidding me?
Yes, there is a new hop called Anchovy. Does it taste like anchovies? Well, no. It is described as having flavors like watermelon, raspberry, and pine. But the name alone is an attention grabber. When a brewery sponsors acreage for a new hop variety, they can sometimes name the hop when it goes into production. This new hop was given the name Anchovy by Matt Storm and Brian Strumke from Fast Fashion Brewing in Seattle, Washington. They wanted to make a beer called “Hot Pizza” with the new hop and thus the unusual hop name choice.
So, is it just marketing? Does it work? Yes. The hop is already sold out in smaller homebrew quantities at Yakima Valley Hops. The name alone got my attention, and other brewers will probably have the same initial reaction. Whether it is hype or not, we makers of beer usually want to brew with hot new hops ourselves.
We are fortunate to be in the golden age of hop experimentation and innovation. The evolution from basic bittering and aroma hops to the nuanced, complex flavors found in modern hazy and juicy beers has opened up a whole new world for brewers. With the soaring popularity of these “juicy” beers came hop flavors in addition to just bittering or aroma. The range of flavors and aromas that can now be achieved with different hop varieties and techniques is truly staggering. It is a very exciting time when it comes to the science of beer, giving homebrewers the opportunity to benefit from all this science to make better beer.
The variety of new hops hitting the market every year is, indeed, a big part of the thrill for us homebrewers. Each new hop variety brings its own unique profile — some with tropical fruit notes, others with floral or piney characteristics. The challenge and excitement lies in finding the right combination to create a beer that really stands out. Add to this the discovery of different ways to use hops in the brewing process and we have even more creative and varied flavor profiles. It might just be time to explore these new hops and redesign a few of those old recipes.
In this article, I’ll delve into the latest hop varieties to become available to homebrewers, examining their unique characteristics and how they can be integrated into your brewing process. Whether you’re looking to craft a groundbreaking IPA or refine a classic style, these new hops offer fresh possibilities to enhance your creations.
Note: Some of the hops listed here are designated by a combination of letters and numbers. Those that start with “HBC” are from the Hop Breeding Company, a joint venture by Yakima Chief and John Haas. This collaboration led to the development of Citra®, Mosaic®, and more; “HS” = Hopsteiner, which is also located in the Yakima valley; “YQH” = Yakima Quality Hops.
AloraTM (previously HS17701)
The name Alora™ is of Latin origin meaning “beautiful dream, dreamlike, or divine light.” Alora™ is best known for its unique oil composition. Unlike most hop varietals that contain what those in the industry call the “big 8” oil groups (pinene, myrcene, limonene, linalool, caryophyllene, farnesene, humulene, and geraniol), Alora™ contains over 50% of unidentified total oil uncommon in hop chemistry. Further analysis has revealed a large percentage of this “unidentified” category type to be selinene – a sesquiterpene rarely found in hops. Selinene is a low-volatility compound that imparts distinct citrus character directly into finished beer and can be found in fruits such as calamondin oranges and yuzu fruit.
Aroma: Peach, yuzu fruit, sweet melon, apricot
Typical Analytical Range:
Alpha Acids: 7–10%
Beta Acids: 3.5–4%
Total Oil (mL/100 g): 0.8–1.3
What Pros are Saying:
Obed Salazar – Assistant Brewmaster, North Coast Brewing Company
“I have used both Alora™ and Anchovy with great success. I preferred the expressiveness of Alora™ over Anchovy because the aroma was perceived as actual fruit (yuzu and sweet melon) when compared to the pleasant but slightly candy-like aroma of watermelon that I perceived from Anchovy.”
Darren Stankey – Marketing Manager, Hopsteiner
“I have done trials, and found in the wild, combinations that use Sultana™, Lemondrop™, Lotus™, and our latest experimental HS16660 with Alora™ (are) all excellent combinations, but Alora™ is also great as a single-hop recipe.”
Anchovy
Initially, it went by the name 24B-05 but was given the controversial name Anchovy by Matt Storm and Brian Strumke from Fast Fashion Brewing. Fast Fashion was the first brewery to sponsor acreage, so they got first cracks at brewing with it and the beer was well received. There is a limited amount of this hop available, but the expectation is acreage, and availability, will increase in the coming year.
Aroma: Watermelon, raspberry, pine
Typical Analytical Range:
Alpha Acids: 11.5%
Beta Acids: 3.6%
Total Oil (mL/100 g): 1.4
What Pros are Saying:
Steve Gonzalez – Sr. Manager of Brewing & Innovation, Stone Brewing Co.
“Anchovy has a lot of depth. Some overt watermelon and green notes on the front of the palate with some interesting, sweet aromatics and a touch of dankness on the back end. It’s a fun hop to use as a substitute in ale styles for hops like Citra® or Amarillo®, also for hops with long finishes and real depth of flavor! Could it work in lagers? We’re about to test that, but I don’t know for sure!”
Elani® (Previously YQH-1320)
Elani® was discovered by Yakima Quality Hops Owner Tim Sattler in Idaho’s St. Joe River Valley and is likely the result of open cross-pollination. Tim brought rhizomes back to Yakima Valley and after years of trials it hit the market in 2022. Tim describes Elani® (pronounced ee-LAH-nee) as “clean and bright. With tropical, citrus, and stone fruit.”
Aroma: Pineapple, guava, lime, white peach, orange zest
Typical Analytical Range:
Alpha Acids: 9–11%
Beta Acids: 6–7%
Total Oil (mL/100 g): 1.3–2
What Pros are Saying:
Geoff Belcher – Head Brewer, New Realm Brewing Co. (Charleston, SC)
“I got to trial this hop early on as YQH-1320. The hop sounded beautiful with the citrus and stone fruit notes in the descriptor in particular . . . The first beer I brewed with this was a 100% Elani® cold IPA to really see what this hop was all about on a super clean canvas and to let those citrus and stone fruit notes shine. It did not disappoint! (A recipe for this beer is below.) “For the homebrew environment I would say this hop plays well with Citra®, Simcoe®, Centennial, Nelson Sauvin™, as well as many others.”
KrushTM (Previously HBC 586)
Originally bred in 2007 by the Hop Breeding Company experimental hop variety program, Krush™ went through a thorough 17-year process as an experimental variety and was officially released as a commercial hop brand in 2024. Krush™ bursts with citrus (orange), tropical (mango, guava), stone fruit (peach), berry (mixed berry), and woody (resin) characteristics that deliver complex, ripe, and punchy aromas.
Aroma: Berry, citrus, stone fruit, tropical, woody
Typical Analytical Range:
Alpha Acids: 10–14.1%
Beta Acids: 6.3–9.4%
Total Oil (mL/100 g): 1.3–3
What Pros are Saying:
John Leingang – Head Brewer, Nine Mile Brewing
“Citrus, pine, tropical tones, stone fruit notes . . . so complex, for sure!
“It does tend to take over other hops if used it higher amounts.”
Michael Tonsmeire – Co-Owner/Brewer, Sapwood Cellars
“We recently released a dry-hopped mixed-fermentation with it in collaboration with Mieza Blendery (Experimental Phase) and dry hopped a DIPA (Boy Have You Lost Your Mind) with it a few years ago. It has a really over-the-top stone fruit, almost-thiolized, character to me . . . It has given some really bright fruit-forward aromatics without much green/dankness. I tend to like beers with a balance of fruit and other more ‘savory’ balancing notes to remind the drinker that it isn’t just juice, so I like to pair it with a Citra®/Simcoe®/Mosaic® if there isn’t something like the underlying funk of a barrel-aged sour.”
Vista
The newest hop variety released from the USDA public breeding program. It was selected by brewers in blind smell tests at Yakima Valley Hops back in 2019. They ranked it 7/10 on a potency scale. It should work well in IPAs and pale ales, but it is also a good fit in lagers and Pilsners.
Aroma: Tropical fruit, tangerine, melon, pear, green tea
Typical Analytical Range:
Alpha Acids: 11–12%
Beta Acids: 4–5%
Total Oil (mL/100 g): 1–2
What Pros are Saying:
Eric Sannerud – Sannerud Hop Consulting
“The strongest aroma I perceive is melon. I like that it is bright, clean, and dry.”
John Leingang – Head Brewer, Nine Mile Brewing Company
“Overall, Vista tends to be an amazing supporting hop with pretty much any newer American varietal. It’s got range to exist in a bunch of different styles of beer, usually as a stalwart support role. Vista has been a crucial key player in terms of brightening up the other varietals (Idaho 7 and El Dorado).”
WCHB-102 (Previously 2B)
This is the second hop to be released by West Coast Hop Breeding and gained notoriety among many when hyped up by John Kimmich at The Alchemist. The hop shows superior disease resistance and is attractively priced. This “late-pick” hop is vigorous and can be grown both conventionally and organically. WCHB-102 has a clean, citrus-forward profile with hints of lime zest, melon, and pine resin, and a high aroma impact of apple and pear. This hop can stand alone or be paired to increase the layered, rich range.
Aroma: Citrus, lime zest, melon, pine, apple, pear
Typical Analytical Range:
Alpha Acids: 11.2%
Beta Acids: 5.3%
Total Oil (mL/100 g): 1.82
What Pros are Saying:
John Kimmich – Co-Owner/Brewer, The Alchemist Brewery
“I have had very successful results using this hop. I have used it in several batches of Skadoosh over the last couple of years, and they have all been very pleasing. I was drawn to using it when I first was given a small sample of the first crop a few years back. Unique and interesting to say the least.
“I have used it as a single-hop, which was great, and I’ve used it with various others. It could certainly stand alone, but it loves to be complemented with the right choice of additional varieties”
Eric Sannerud – Sannerud Hop Consulting
“One of the few hops I have given a 5 in sensory analysis. The apple/pear aroma will work well with a variety of other hops and adds complexity.”
Zumo
Discovered in the Segal Ranch open-pollination hop nursery years back, Zumo was first released in 2023 and is already becoming a favorite amongst breweries such as Other Half, Stone, and Russian River. Brewers who have already brewed with Zumo describe it as citrus, citrus, and more citrus. A prominent lime note makes it a perfect fit for Mexican lagers, but it has also performed well in big IPAs.
Aroma: Lime zest, orange, citrus
Typical Analytical Range:
Alpha Acids: 5.5–6.5%
Beta Acids: 4–5%
Total Oil (mL/100 g): 0.5–1
What Pros are Saying:“
Vinnie Cilurzo – Owner, Russian River Brewing Company
“The aroma is delicate but that is OK as the lime quality the hop gives the beer is distinct. We are using it in our 2024 release of Pliny for President in the dry hop. It also works really well in a beer we make called Zumo Wresting, which is technically a West Coast Pilsner.
“A positive for the hop is the fact that it does not have super high alpha acids, and thus a brewer can use more of it in the whirlpool and not see the bittering units jump up too much.”
Steve Gonzalez – Sr. Manager of Brewing & Innovation, Stone Brewing Co.
“Lots of both bright, fresh, and also warm lime and candy flavor from this hop. I prefer it in fuller-bodied IPA styles like juicy hazies and in dry-hopped lagers. It performed just fine in West Coast IPAs, but it really needs a lot of malt character to express itself best for me, whether that is Pilsner malts or a generous helping of malted wheat and malted oats. The low bitterness from this hop makes it safe to go heavy handed on the whirlpool side!”
There are a couple more hops I want to highlight because they are making waves in the craft beer scene, though the supply in the homebrew market is limited right now. We expect they’ll become more widely available to homebrewers soon:
Experimental HS16660
Experimental HS16660 has yet to receive a name, but we wanted to highlight it for its high-intensity aroma that is high in geraniol composition and even higher in free 4MMP thiols — which are responsible for the sought-after flavor and aroma of tropical and sweet fruits. The 4MMP thiol levels land off the charts in comparison to other hop varieties.
Aroma: Tropical fruit, berry, fruit candies, citrus
Typical Analytical Range:
Alpha Acids: 10–13%
Beta Acids: 3–4%
Total Oil (mL/100 g): 2.3–2.8
What Pros are Saying:
Darren Stankey – Marketing Manager, Hopsteiner
“HS16660 will be receiving a name soon. It has already been a hit with brewers who have trialed it and folks are coming back for more. Keep a look out for this new one that will be making its commercial debut soon.”
Peacharine
From Freestyle Hops in New Zealand, Peacharine has a rich peach/nectarine character with an appealing citrus backbone that includes sweet fruit, lime zest, and indistinct floral notes. Homebrew quantities are hard to come by, but given the positive press it has gotten from the pros who have used it (such as Trillium, Toppling Goliath, Tree House, The Alchemist, Fidens . . .), we’d expect availability to increase in the near future. Peacharine can be used in a single-hop beer, but also pairs well with a wide range of both thiol- and terpene-heavy varietals like late-harvest New Zealand Cascade.
Aroma: Peach, nectarine, citrus, sweet fruit, lime zest
Typical Analytical Range:
Alpha Acids: 6.1%
Beta Acids: 6.2%
Total Oil (mL/100 g): 2.1
What Pros are Saying:
Geoff Belcher – Head Brewer, New Realm Brewing Co. (Charleston, SC)
“I honestly think Peacharine is super unique and nothing would really be close on substitution. I’ve found that it plays nice with your more resinous Chinook, Cascade, and Simcoe® hops.”
Excited to brew with some of these new hop varieties? I know I am. To get started, two pros interviewed for this story were gracious enough to share proven recipes featuring a couple of the highlighted varieties, found below.
New Realm Brewing Co.’s Elani Cold IPA clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG =1.058 FG = 1.008
IBU = 64 SRM = 3 ABV = 6.6%
This is the first recipe Geoff Belcher, Head Brewer at New Realm Brewing Co.’s Charleston, South Carolina, location brewed with Elani® as it provides a clean slate for the hop. The resulting beer is bursting with citrus and stone fruit flavors and aromas.
Ingredients
9 lbs. (4.1 kg) Pilsner malt
2.7 lbs. (1.2 kg) flaked rice
11 AAU Elani® hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 11% alpha acids)
4.4 AAU Elani® hops (10 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 11% alpha acids)
2 oz. (56 g) Elani® hops (whirlpool)
5 oz. (142 g) Elani® hops (dry hop)
1 Whirlfloc tablet (15 min.)
SafLager W-34/70, Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager), or White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Mash the malt and flaked rice at 150 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes. Raise mash up to mash-out temperature of 168 °F (76 °C) and lauter as normal. Collect enough wort pre-boil to allow for 5.25 gallons (20 L) in your fermenter.
Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops as per the schedule. At the end of the boil, cool wort to 180 °F (82 °C) and add the whirlpool hop addition. Stir wort vigorously to create a whirlpool, cover, and leave for 20 minutes.
Cool to 65 °F (18 °C) and pitch yeast (aerate if using liquid yeast). Ferment for seven days and then add the dry hop addition. After three days, rack to a keg and force carbonate or add priming sugar and bottle condition.
New Realm Brewing Co.’s Elani Cold IPA clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.008
IBU = 64 SRM = 3 ABV = 6.6%
Ingredients
5 lbs. (2.3 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
1.4 lbs. (0.6 kg) rice syrup
11 AAU Elani® hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 11% alpha acids)
4.4 AAU Elani® hops (10 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 11% alpha acids)
2 oz. (56 g) Elani® hops (whirlpool)
5 oz. (142 g) Elani® hops (dry hop)
1 Whirlfloc tablet (15 min.)
SafLager W-34/70, Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager), or White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Heat 5.5 gallons (21 L) of water to 180 °F (82 °C) in the brew kettle. Remove from heat and carefully stir in the malt extract and rice syrup until dissolved. Return to heat and bring to a boil.
Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops as per the schedule. At the end of the boil, cool wort to 180 °F (82 °C) and add the whirlpool hop addition. Stir wort vigorously to create a whirlpool, cover, and leave for 20 minutes.
Cool to 65 °F (18 °C) and pitch yeast (aerate if using liquid yeast). Ferment for seven days and then add the dry hop addition. After three days, rack to a keg and force carbonate or add priming sugar and bottle condition.
Logboat Brewing Co.’s Rocket Shark Vista Flyer clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.068 FG = 1.009
IBU = 28 SRM = 7 ABV = 7.8%
This was the fifth iteration of Logboat’s rotating IPA Rocket Shark Series in which the brewers wanted to explore and experiment with Vista. “Rocket Shark Vista Flyer is a juicy IPA featuring a unique blend of hops for a layered taste experience. Vista, Nelson SauvinTM, and Huell Melon hops contribute notes of bright tropical fruit, white wine, big strawberry, and subtle gooseberry. An Ideal IPA for those who love a big, fruity beer with depth and nuance,” said Jason Woody, the brewer who designed the recipe.
Ingredients
12.1 lbs. (5.5 kg) Rahr 2-row pale malt
12 oz. (340 g) Rahr white wheat malt
12 oz. (340 g) Weyermann Carafoam® malt
4 oz. (113 g) Weyermann acidulated malt
5.6 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 14% alpha acids)
0.9 oz. (26 g) Vista hops (whirlpool)
0.6 oz. (17 g) Huell Melon hops (whirlpool)
0.3 oz. (9 g) Nelson SauvinTM hops (whirlpool)
0.9 oz. (26 g) Vista hops (dry hop #1)
0.6 oz. (17 g) Huell Melon hops (dry hop #1)
0.3 oz. (9 g) Nelson SauvinTM hops (dry hop #1)
0.9 oz. (26 g) Vista hops (dry hop #2)
0.6 oz. (17 g) Huell Melon hops (dry hop #2)
0.3 oz. (9 g) Nelson SauvinTM hops (dry hop #2)
Omega OYL-004 West Coast Ale I, White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or SafAle US-05 yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Mash the grains at 152 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes. Raise mash to mash-out temperature of 168 °F (76 °C) and lauter as normal. Collect enough wort pre-boil to allow for 5.25 gallons (20 L) in your fermenter after the boil is complete.
Boil for 60 minutes, adding the Magnum addition at the start of the boil. When the boil is complete, add all of the whirlpool hops and stir the wort vigorously to form a whirlpool in the kettle. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.
At the end of the whirlpool, cool wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, 65 °F (18 °C), and pitch yeast (aerate if using liquid yeast). Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C). Add the first dry hop addition in a muslin bag on day four of fermentation. On day 7, pull the first dry hop addition and add the second addition, being careful to keep the fermenter flush with CO2. After three days, rack the beer to a keg and force carbonate or add priming sugar and bottle condition as usual.
Extract plus grains version:
Substitute the pale, wheat, and acidulated malts for 6.8 lbs. (3.1 kg) light dried malt extract, 8 oz. (230 g) wheat dried malt extract, and ½ tsp. 88% lactic acid. Add the crushed Carafoam® malt to a muslin bag and place in your kettle with 5.5 gallons (21 L) of water. Heat the water to 180 °F (82 °C). Remove grains and bring to a boil. Remove the kettle from heat and carefully stir in the malt extract and lactic acid. Return to heat and bring to a boil. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe, adding water to the fermenter up to 5.25 gallons (20 L), if necessary, at the start of fermentation.
Tips for success:
When Logboat brewed Vista Flyer on its 30-barrel system it omitted any bittering hop addition because their whirlpool addition takes 45 minutes to drain. On their equipment, the whirlpool addition alone contributes a calculated 28 IBUs. Homebrewers could try something similar of forgoing any hop addition at the start of the boil and instead extending the whirlpool, though they will also need to add a step to keep the wort closer to boiling temperature as small batches will naturally cool much quicker than the volume Logboat brews. Adding a bitterness charge at the start of the boil is what Logboat does when formulating recipes on their pilot system to simulate the longer whirlpool. “Depending on your whirlpool regimen you may need to add a clean/neutral bittering addition to achieve that 28 IBU — we usually have to do that on our small-scale pilot to mimic the IBU we pull from the whirlpool on the 30-barrel system,” said Logboat’s Production Manager Michael Ivancic.
Any high-alpha, clean hop can be used for bittering. Hop extract would be another good choice.
