by Erik Krause
I have been curious as to the source of a grapefruit-like flavor in beers that I like. Typically, these beers are microbrews of some sort. And these are probably most often an IPA of some sort. I like them bitter.
Initially I figured the flavor was probably the result of fermentation, which is probably partly true. I got excited in reading about Rejuvelac that it had a "crisp, almost lemony taste". So I made some. Good, but not everything I was hoping it would be. After trying a new brew the other day (Ruination IPA from Stone Brewing Company), I finally paid attention to the number of times they used the word "hop" in describing the "liquid poem to the glory of the hop", as they describe it. Aha! Maybe that's what it is.
So I ran down to Desert Sage Herbs and picked up an ounce of organic hops. An ounce is pretty big compared to a tea bag, but I can already tell it won't be a problem for me. I took about 5 of the flowers and steeped them in hot water. After about 5 minutes, the tea was starting to have some very mild hop aroma. So I squeezed the water out of the hops and stuck them back in. After another 10 minutes, the tea was starting to have a delightful aroma and flavor -- strangely reminiscent of beer.
I had no idea that the flavor I associate with good beer is so strongly due to a single ingredient. An ingredient to use in teas while skipping the alcohol. Of course, there is a MUCH more to the final taste of something as complex as beer. But you would certainly recognize the flavor.
I was warned at the herb shop that if you over-steep hops, they tend to get very bitter. That sounded like a good challenge to me. How bitter will these get? I kept squeezing the hops every few minutes to keep the tea strong. After half an hour of increasing flavor, the bitterness started to get strong. I decided it was enough for me when I could feel it on the back of my tongue. Not nearly as bitter as triphala, but then Ayurvedic herbs promote cringing and this doesn't.
I will add this to my list of preferred herbs: ginger, dandelion, peppermint and hops. I find that the sweetness of the peppermint goes well with the flavor of dandelion -- particularly when using the roots. Hops should add some nice variety for a bitterness source. Sometimes dandelion is just too much.