Who It's For: Beer drinkers, brewers, and anyone who has ever wondered what a hop actually is beyond the word on a can.
Hops are the ingredient that turned modern brewing into what it is. They add bitterness, yes, but the real story is aroma. A single variety can carry notes of citrus, pine, tropical fruit, black pepper, or wildflowers depending on where it was grown, when it was picked, and how it made its way into the beer.
Master Cicerone® Jen Blair runs this one during harvest season, when the plant is at its most alive. Handle whole-cone hops, work with pellets, and, if the timing lines up, smell fresh hops straight from the season. Guided sensory activities pair the hops themselves with the beers they end up in, so the connection between plant and pint becomes something you can actually feel. Along the way, Jen walks through how hops are grown, harvested, and processed, and how different varieties end up shaping the beers you already know.