Just as creatively hopped craft beers have captured the taste buds and attention of consumers, so too has the passion and spirit of hop flavors and scents in other products. Soap, candy, beard oil — hops are being transformed into a variety of odd and interesting merchandise that might make an excellent gift for that beer lover in your life. Here’s our 10 favorite.
10. Hop salt
A signature blend of hops-infused Pacific coarse sea salt creates a subtle vibrancy on the palate with a complex balance of citrus and floral notes. Hey, it’s also made in the USA. For more info, click this link.
9. Hop soap
This beer soap is made with IPA craft beer and ground hops, giving it a spicy, herbal and earthy scent. Made in America, folks. For more info, click this link.
8. Hop candy
B-Hoppy is the original hop candy. Floral and citrus flavors capture the aroma and flavor profile of fresh hop cones without residual bitterness. B-Hoppy candy was developed to truly represent tasty hop varieties like Calypso, Apollo, Super Galena, Bravo and Zeus. It’s also made in USA. For more info, click this link.
7. Hop stickers
Here’s a package of five (very?) cool hop and craft beer inspired stickers. One of each design: Hop Head, Hop Bomb, Green Hop in a circle and White Hop in a circle. For more info, click this link.
6. Hop candles
Brew Candles are great for beer geeks and candle lovers alike! Hand-poured into a recycled 22-oz beer bottle, each candle is inspired by the flavor of a different craft beer, and they smell amazing! Made with soy wax and lead-free wicks in the USA. For more info, click this link.
5. Hop beard oil
Hops and beards are a combination formed in Valhalla. Four Vices Beard Oil is made with unique scents of tobacco, coffee, hops and hemp cannabis to create the perfect subtle blend of manliness and comes in a number of different hop varieties. Made in Washington. For more info, click this link.
4. Hop pen
This lager-hued pen is handmade with resin tinted and textured with hand-ground, locally grown hops. Whether you use it to pour over your daily to-dos or pen a novel, this heady tool makes a buzz-worthy gift for the beer connoisseur. Each one-of-a-kind pen is housed in a handsome maple wood gift box. Handmade in Connecticut. For more info, click this link.
3. Hop shampoo
Hops make our favorite beers taste great, but apparently it’s good for our hair too. Hops are combined with essential oils from rosemary, grapefruit and fir needles. This Hops Shampoo from Atlantic Farms is bound to help moisturize dry scalps and make your hair smell better than your favorite beer. Made in the USA. For more info, click this link.
2. Hop crafts
Are you looking for unique, handcrafted hop jewelry made from polymer clay and anodized aluminum wire? Or maybe you’re searching for ornaments for the craft brew aficionado in your life. Look no further. For more info, click this link.
1. “Wet” hopping
Hop Randall is an Organoleptic Hop Transducer Module (its invention is credited to Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware). Install a Hop Randall between your keg and tap, and then fill the double-chamber filter with fresh whole leaf hops. As the beer washes over the hops in the chambers, alcohol acts as a solvent, stripping the hop oils for an unprecedented intensity of hop flavor and aroma. For more info, click this link.
Bill Elkins is a craft brewery account manager in the western United States and Canada for Hopsteiner, one of the largest hop growing, trading, breeding and processing firms in the world. Hopsteiner has been a leader in high quality beer hops since 1845.
