Hops

How bitter is Tsingtao? Not very. The hops here aim for a delicate bitterness and a faint aroma, nothing like a robust Czech Pilsner or an American IPA. According to the brewery, the hops come from western China, far from the coast.

Hops bring two things to beer. The alpha acids in the cones create bitterness during the wort boil, while the essential oils bring aromas of grass, flowers, or fruit. Add hops early in the boil and you get bitterness; add them late or in the lagering tank and you get aroma.

In a lager of this kind, bitterness takes center stage. It balances the malt sweetness and fades quickly. This suits dishes with chili and salt, since too much hop character would only amplify the heat.

The brewery doesn't disclose which exact varieties are used. Unlike Žatecký chmel in Bohemia or hops from the Hallertau, it carries no protected designation of origin. It's a raw material that's simply purchased, as in many large breweries around the world.

Anyone wanting to detect the hop note should hold their nose right over a freshly poured beer. Expect just a hint of hay and grass, nothing more. The Tsingtao Brewery Museum tells the story of the brewery, but in the glass, the malt body dominates. Even along Beer Street on Dengzhou Lu, no beer with a hop firework display is poured. The hop diversity that craft beer fans from North America know doesn't define Tsingtao.