Hops

No hops grow in the Ruhr Region. Brewers source them from Germany's hop-growing regions, above all from the Hallertau in Bavaria. Germany had around 18,962 hectares of hop acreage in 2025, and by far the largest share of that lies in the Hallertau, the largest contiguous hop-growing area in the world.

How bitter is Pils? Bitterness is measured in IBU, the unit for bittering compounds in beer. According to the style guidelines, a German Pils falls between 22 and 40 IBU, noticeably more than a Helles. The bittering compounds come from the alpha acids in the hop cones, which pass into the liquid during the long boil of the wort.

Two groups of hops share the work. Bittering hops such as Magnum or Herkules go into the kettle early and deliver the clean, crisp bitterness. Aroma hops such as Hallertauer Tradition, Spalter Select or Tettnanger go in shortly before the end and contribute floral, herbal and grassy notes. Which varieties exactly go into the Stauder Premium Pils, the Pils from Moritz Fiege or König Pilsener is usually not disclosed by the breweries.

That's the reason Pils from the region so often comes across as crisp and dry. Anyone who sets a Pils from the Ruhr Region next to a Helles from Munich will taste the difference immediately. The Pils is meant to finish clean, leaving the tongue briefly dry at the back of the palate.

Protected status exists for the hops themselves. Hops from the Hallertau and Tettnanger Hopfen have carried the protected geographical indication since 2010, and Spalter Hopfen the protected designation of origin since 2012. No such protection applies to the beer from the region.