OnTap Magazine

From The Editor I 'm not sure how or when it happened, but at some point over the past 30 years or so, hops became sexy. Many would argue that they’re the de ning ingredient of craft beer, even though they’re the only one of the Big Four that you could feasibly do without. Obviously you can’t possibly make beer without water. And you need both grain (for sugars) and yeast to make alcohol – because let’s be honest, you probably wouldn’t be enthusiastic enough about a beverage to read a magazine dedicated to it if that beverage was non-alcoholic. But you could make a beer without hops, using some other plant to add bitterness and avour to your brew. Of course, you could also cook without using salt, or bake without sugar and I think we know how disappointing those endeavours would be. Hops are what made craft beer exciting. ey o er fresh, vibrant, punch-you-in-the- olfactories aromas and avours that can easily make the drinker think that the beer has been enhanced with mango juice, granadilla pulp, grapefruit rind or fresh pine needles. e hop is really the only ingredient that has a global fan club – the self-proclaimed hopheads, who are ever in search of a bigger hop aroma or just a bit more bitterness. In recent years there has been increased interest in the wider brewing world when it comes to South African hops, so as the 2022 hop harvest gets underway we wanted to dedicate the autumn issue to the ingredient that regular contributor Rob Cass calls “the soul of craft beer” on page 38. We’re bringing you inspiring tales of South Africans growing hops in the unlikeliest of locations, tips on how to cultivate them in your own backyard, ways to better utilise them in your brews, or if all that seems a bit too much like hard work, some suggested beer styles where you can really see – or should I say smell and taste – the magni cence that hops lend to beer. I hope you enjoy the read. The pursuit of hoppiness Cheers! Lucy Corne EDITOR @LucyCorne ontapmag.co.za | Autumn 2022 | 1