Here’s a riddle for you: If all ales have the same foundational ingredients, why do you love some but dislike others? True beer aficionados already know the answer. It’s the hops.
But with nearly 80 different hop varieties used in brewing today, sometimes it can get tricky to remember which you like and which you’ve never tried. So here’s a breakdown of the 10 most common hops and their characteristics, plus a few brew suggestions to help should you choose to do a little taste test of your own (it’s highly recommended):
| HOP | CHARACTERISTICS | RECOMMENDED BEER |
| Chinook | spicy, piney and grapefruit-y | Arrogant Bastard Ale |
| Cascade | flowery, spicy and citrusy | Sierra Nevada Pale Ale |
| Mosaic | fruity, grassy, floral and earthy | |
| Citra | citrusy | |
| Simcoe | bitter and aromatic | |
| Galaxy | passionfruit and citrus aroma | Uinta Hop Nosh |
| Centennial | floral and citrus | Bells Two Hearted Ale |
| Sorachi Ace | bittering with a lemony aroma | Brooklyn Sorachi Ace |
| Amarillo | citrusy and flowery | Rogue Yellow Snow IPA |
| Willamette | slightly spicy, fruity, floral and a little earthy | New Belgium Fat Tire |
