Regina brewery Malty National looking for local hops
Hops from backyards headed to new batch of beer
Owners of Regina's Malty National brewery want people to recognize hops are more than just a pretty plant.
They are hoping community members will harvest any hops they might have in their backyards and bring them to the brewery.
We use a lot of hops in a lot of our beer at Malty National so we thought it would be fun if we could make beer with hops people have growing right in Regina.- Adam Smith
Adam Smith is co-owner of Malty National and says many people in Saskatchewan grow hops because it's a hardy perennial and an attractive plant.
"They'll grow anywhere between 12 to 18 feet in a season and they come back every year," said Smith.
Although Smith says it's a pretty plant, they are interested in one specific part of it.
"At the end of the year, it produces fruit that people probably just leave on there," Smith said.
"We use a lot of hops in a lot of our beer at Malty National so we thought it would be fun if we could make beer with hops people have growing right in Regina."
If you peek inside the green cone on the plant Smith says there should be a yellow, sticky powder that's present when the hop is ready.
"And that's what we are after," Smith said.
"That's what gives us all of our great aroma and flavour in all of our hoppy beers here."
Timing is important because the brewery will need the hops right when the fruit is ready to go.
Smith says people who are interested in donating hops should keep an eye on Malty National's Instagram, Facebook page, and twitter account to watch for the call for hops and then "hop right to it."