Hops....
Hops are resinous flowers that grow on long, climbing vines. Hops have been used by brewers for centuries to add flavor and aroma to beer, and can grow just about anywhere, but typically cooler areas with moderate elevation (like parts of the British Isles, Germany and the Pacific Northwest) provide ideal growing conditions. Hops contain alpha acids, and these alpha acids also have a preservative effect on beer. For example, the favorite beer style of Hop-Heads everywhere is the India Pale Ale (IPA). This beer has its roots in the days of British Imperialism, and extensive use of hops was used to keep beer fresh on the months-long ocean voyages to India before refrigeration existed. There are dozens of hop varieties that grow around the world and each variety can impart a specific attribute to beer. For instance, noble German hops like Tettnanger and Hallertauer are used extensively in German lagers. Fuggles and East Kent Goldings hops give English pale ales their characteristic bitterness. Cascade is a hop variety that is used widely in US West-Coast microbrew styles, and is a characteristic hop in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Hops are added to boiling wort at various intervals during the boil. Hops added early in the boil contribute bitterness to the finished beer product, where hops added later in the boil contribute to the aroma of the beer. Dry-hopping is a technique used by brewers in which hops are added to the beer after the boil is complete, usually after the turbulent, primary fermentation is complete.
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