The Surprising Botanical Relative Of Beer

Hops are not just ingredients for brewing; they are close botanical cousins to the cannabis plant. While they lack psychoactive properties, they share the same family and distinct aromatic resin glands.

Both hops and cannabis belong to the Cannabaceae family, which explains why they share similar terpene profiles that give beer its floral or piney scent. Interestingly, farmers exclusively grow female hop plants for production because they produce the essential flowers needed for brewing. These plants are incredibly fast growers and can climb up to twenty feet in a single season. Brewers have relied on these unique flowers for centuries to balance the sweetness of malt with bitterness and stability.