hoppy
HOP-ee
/ˈhɒp.i/
Having the distinctive flavor or aroma of hops—ranging from floral, citrusy, and piney to noticeably bitter.
Specifically describes drink styles like IPAs where hop flower additions impart intense aroma, resin, and crisp bitterness.
The story behind the word. Derived from Middle Dutch hoppe, hop flower cones were added to European beverages in the Middle Ages as a natural preservative and bittering agent. The adjective 'hoppy' developed to describe drinks whose dominant character comes from these flower cones.
Word relationships
- resinous: Refers specifically to pine-like, sappy flavors found in heavy hop profiles.
- bitter: Bitter describes basic taste sensation, whereas hoppy encompasses complex herbal, citrus, and floral aromas.
- malty: Dominated by sweet, biscuity, toasted grain notes with minimal hop bitterness.
Commonly confused with
- malty: Malty drinks taste sweet, toasted, or caramel-like from grain, whereas hoppy drinks taste crisp, floral, or bitter from hop flowers.
Word family
- hop (noun): The dried flower cone of the hop plant used in brewing.
Collocations
- hoppy aroma
- hoppy bitterness
- intensely hoppy
- hoppy IPA
Example sentences
- "This West Coast IPA is intensely hoppy, bursting with aromas of grapefruit peel and pine needles." Tasting notes
Memory hook
A rabbit HOPs around green HOP vines that give craft drinks their bitter bite. Bursting with hop flower aroma and bitterness.
When not to use
Do not use to describe beverages with zero hop content, such as wine, cider, or sweet unhopped mead.
Fun facts
- Hops belong to the Cannabaceae botanical family, making them close plant cousins to cannabis.
Related words
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