Hops, lupulin, and alpha acids – every year, one of the most enticing beer styles hits the shelves after a bountiful harvest of healthy hop varieties makes its way into an array of beer styles from IPAs to Amber Ales. That’s right, the most anticipated fresh hop beer of the year is in stock at Bridge City Beverage.
Tröegs Nugget Nectar is a fresh-hop Imperial Amber Ale that uses freshly harvested hops throughout brewing. Nugget Nectar is dry-hopped with primarily Nugget hops for a grapefruit and pine flavor and aroma. The Munich, Pilsner and Vienna malts add body and a touch of sweetness. Other hop additions like Warrior, Tomahawk, Simcoe and Palisade round out the taste with hints of mango.
Tröegs Nugget Nectar is available now while supplies last, currently in 4-pack 16 oz. cans.
What is a fresh hop beer?
With so many new beer styles coming and going, it can be hard to keep up. Some contemporary renditions stick around longer than others and some are, without a doubt, here to stay.
Fresh hop beers have always been around, just marketed differently. For as long as beer was made with hops, it’s been best practice to use the freshest available. Now, with the use of hop pellets and extracts, fresh hops aren’t always the most practical or financially sound choice.
Pelletized hops are often used in place of whole hop cones because they take up less space during the boil and beer fermentation phases, store much longer, and are generally cheaper. Although pellets have pros, fresh whole hops offer a unique and fuller taste to beer styles like IPAs.
Fresh hop IPAs use hops recently harvested from hop farms around the world, commonly from the U.S. in the Pacific Northwest. These hops either remain as whole hops or are pelletized, but they’re always timely harvests that impart the freshest possible taste to hoppy beers.
Fresh hop beers most commonly come in the form of India Pale Ales, as their hop-forward taste makes the most sense for a fresh hop introduction. However, as shown by Troegs, this style is not restricted to IPAs and can take on the form of an Amber Ale or Witbier.
How long does a fresh hop beer last?
This depends on when the beer was made and how it’s stored. Look for a “brewed on,” “best by,” or “genesis” date on the label, bottom of the can, or on its original packaging. After that, a rule of thumb for hoppy beers is to drink them within three months. Keep the beer cold if possible. If it’s in a can, it may last even longer.