Hops

Is hops grown in the Frankenwald or around Hof? The Hofer Land is not among Germany's major hop-growing regions. The most important ones are the Hallertau, Tettnang, Spalt, and the Elbe-Saale region. The hops used for Hofer Bier also come from these areas, though individual breweries rarely reveal which varieties they choose.

In 2025, Germany grew hops on roughly 18,962 hectares, of which about 83 percent lie in the Hallertau. The Elbe-Saale region, the closest to the Hof area, covers approximately 1,550 hectares. These figures come from the report by hop trader BarthHaas and from industry sources.

Hops serve two purposes. Alpha acids provide bitterness and help preserve the beer, while essential oils contribute aroma. High-alpha varieties such as Magnum or Herkules deliver bitterness even in small amounts. Fine aroma varieties like Hallertauer Mittelfrüh add floral, spicy notes and are added later in the brewing process.

This also explains why a Pils tastes different from a Märzen or a Dunkel. According to the style guidelines of the BJCP competition handbook, German Pils falls between 22 and 40 IBU, a unit measuring bitterness. Schwarzbier ranges from 20 to 35 IBU, though the roasted malt notes soften the perceived bitterness.

Meinel-Bräu offers a seasonal beer called Hopfenzupfer ("Hop Picker"). The name recalls the harvest work that, for centuries in Franconia, was done entirely by hand: picking hop cones before machines took over the job of separating them from the bines.