Hops

Žatecký poloraný červeňák — in German Saazer Halbfrüher or Saaz Red Hop — is the variety that draws brewers from around the world to northwest Bohemia. Poloraný means "semi-early," since the cones ripen mid-season. Červeňák means "red vine," after the reddish colour of the bines.

Out in the fields you'll see trellis systems: tall poles strung with wires. In spring the hop bines climb the strings, always clockwise. The cones are harvested in late summer — by hand, in earlier decades. Žatec celebrates the end of the harvest with the Dočesná festival.

Saaz is an aroma hop. That means it's prized less for bitterness than for scent and flavour: herbs, flowers, a touch of hay, a hint of citrus peel. Brewers call it a "noble hop" — a term of quality reserved for a handful of traditional varieties known for fine aroma and low bitterness.

How much hop acreage is there? The growing area shifts somewhat from year to year, but the framework is fixed: the growing municipalities belong to six districts, the PDO registration dates from 2007, and the landscape was recognised as World Heritage in 2023.

Hops are added to the brew kettle later in the boil, where they release their aroma. The later they go in, the more fragrance survives and the less bitterness they contribute. For a Czech lager, Saaz hops are typically added in several additions, so that bitterness and aroma stay in balance.

In Žatec you can pair all this with a visit. At the Hop Museum, part of the Temple of Hops and Beer complex, you can see how hops were once stored and packed.