Hops

The Aischgrund isn't hop country. The breweries buy in their hops, as nearly all German brewers do, given that in 2025 hops were grown on around 19,000 hectares nationwide. The largest share of this comes from the Hallertau region in Upper Bavaria.

Hops serve two purposes in beer. They help preserve it, and they contribute bitterness and aroma. Bitterness is measured in IBU, a unit for the bittering compounds in the glass. A Helles typically sits at about 16 to 22 IBU according to style guidelines, while a Pils runs considerably higher.

The timing of the addition is what matters most. Hops that boil for a long time contribute bitterness with little aroma. Hops added near the end of the boil, into the sugary liquid drawn from the malt, contribute aroma instead.

In Kellerbier, hops deliberately take a back seat. The beer is meant to stay round and drinkable, so you're ready for a second Seidla after the first rather than left with a lingering bitter impression. Anyone hunting for a hop bomb is more likely to find one among the newer craft beers from individual breweries.

As early as 1516, the obligation to use hops was written into the Bavarian law: "only barley, hops, and water." Which varieties individual breweries use is rarely disclosed, and no single signature variety can be named for the Aischgrund as a whole.

Just how restrained the hopping is becomes clear when comparing the breweries. Brauhaus Höchstadt describes its Kellerbier as malt-forward, while Brauerei Zwanzger in Uehlfeld also produces beers with honey or elderflower, where herbs and blossoms help carry the aroma. Both approaches push the hops further into the background.