Imagine infusing your beer with the vibrant, sun-soaked flavors of South Africa or the crisp, balanced aromas of Slovenia — sounds exciting, right? Thanks to ZA Hops, American craft brewers now have access to some of the world’s most unique and high-quality hop varieties. With bold tropical fruit notes from the Southern Hemisphere and versatile, aromatic profiles from Europe, these hops are poised to elevate your brewing game. Let’s dive into what makes these hops so special and why they’re a must-try for innovative brewers across the country.
A brief history of ZA Hops
ZA Hops’ founder, Greg Crum, has a personal history steeped in brewing and hop cultivation. After homebrewing in the early 1990s, Crum’s obsession with hops led him to work at Berkshire Hops Limited in the UK and later co-found Devil’s Peak Brewing Co. in Cape Town. In 2012, Crum began importing South African hops under his Furthur Brewing brand, which eventually grew into ZA Hops. His passion for these unique hops drove him to create a market for them in the United States, working with hop farms like SAB Hop Farms in South Africa and Hoppris and Ribič Hops in Slovenia. ZA Hops, headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, specializes in some of the most sought-after hop varieties, many of which were previously unavailable to American craft brewers (thanks to Anheuser-Busch InBev). Let’s take a closer look at some of these unique offerings.
South African Hops
South African hops are known for their bold, tropical fruit flavors and aromatic qualities that set them apart from more common hop varieties. These hops are perfect for brewers seeking to add something special to their beers.
- African Queen: A harmonious blend of 16 different fruits, with wild berries and grapes at the forefront. It’s a fruity symphony with a slight smokiness, perfect for adding depth to your beer.
- Southern Passion: A vibrant hop that delivers a passionfruit-forward flavor profile, with hints of guava, black currant, and other tropical fruits.
- Southern Aroma: Distinctive with gooseberry, passion fruit, and grapefruit notes, Southern Aroma also features lemongrass and elderflower, making it a wonderfully aromatic choice.
- Southern Sublime: A hop variety offering a delicate blend of passion fruit, guava, red berries, melon, black currant, coconut, tangerine, grapefruit and calendula.
Slovenian Hops
Slovenia has long been a respected hop-growing region, known for its balanced and versatile hop varieties. These hops work well across a wide range of beer styles, from IPAs to lagers.
- Styrian Cardinal: Known for its balanced bitterness and subtle herbal notes.
- Styrian Dragon: A bold hop offering spicy, earthy aromas with a hint of citrus.
- Styrian Kolibri: A delicate, floral hop with a subtle fruity touch.
- Styrian Aurora: Offers a mild bitterness with a soft floral note, perfect for lagers.
- Styrian Celeia: A sweet, fruity hop with hints of citrus and herbs.
The farms behind the flavor
ZA Hops works directly with some of the most reputable hop farms to ensure high-quality hops for craft brewers. The SAB Hop Farms in South Africa, with their rich history dating back to 1935, are key suppliers of African hops. Meanwhile, Slovenian hops come from family-run farms like Hoppris and Ribič Hops, which have been cultivating hops for over a century. These farms are known for their commitment to sustainable farming practices and the production of premium hops.
AB InBev tried to stop you from enjoying these hops
In 2017, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) made a controversial move, blocking U.S. craft brewers from accessing South African hops grown at SAB Hop Farms, a subsidiary it acquired during its merger with SABMiller. This decision effectively shut out hundreds of American craft breweries that had been using unique hop varieties like Southern Passion, African Queen, and Southern Aroma. According to AB InBev, the restriction was due to a “poor yield” from South Africa’s hop crops that year, and the company would reserve nearly 100 percent of the available hops for its own brands. While AB InBev maintained that the limited supply, representing less than 1% of global hop production, couldn’t meet both internal demand and external requests, many craft brewers saw this as a strategic move to monopolize these unique hops for its own portfolio of brands, including the High End division, which at this point has all but been dismantled, selling most of that craft portfolio to Tilray Brands.
Why American brewers should consider ZA Hops
Before ZA Hops’ emergence, many U.S. craft brewers had limited access to South African and Slovenian hops. Anheuser-Busch InBev’s decision to restrict access to these hops for independent breweries in 2017 only increased the demand for alternatives. Now, craft breweries have a reliable source for unique hop varieties that can help them craft distinctive beers.
ZA Hops offers something special for brewers looking to differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded market. South African hops like Southern Passion and African Queen bring tropical and exotic flavors that create standout IPAs, while Slovenian hops like Styrian Cardinal and Styrian Dragon provide balance and versatility for a variety of styles.
The future of craft brewing with ZA Hops
By offering direct access to these premium hops, ZA Hops is not just another supplier — it’s a partner in innovation. Crum and his team continue to work with breeders to develop new hop cultivars, ensuring that brewers have fresh, exciting options in the years to come. For craft brewers, ZA Hops provides a rare opportunity to experiment with premium hops from regions once largely off-limits to the American market. With its commitment to quality and sustainability, ZA Hops is a key player in shaping the future of craft beer.
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