Hops

Drakensberg Brewery has undertaken to grow some of its own hops this year.

The purpose of this is to grow some local hops for some of our specialty brews and to provide a sensory experience for our customers to experience. As a result we have a small ‘Tunnel of Hops’.

The hops planted are the Drakgold variety, developed by local brewer Bardy Hall. It is a hybrid of Czech, Yugoslavian and UK hop varieties. The hops grow from September to January and reach maturity late in the Drakensberg summer.

Hops are a natural preservative and are added to beer to impart bitterness, aroma and flavour. Certain styles of beer like Pilsners and IPAs contain more hops. Hops can also be used for medicinal purposes and in cooking.

We will be posting progress of the hops through the course of this first season.

Hop Structure

First Planted Hop Rhizomes

Hops Starting to Climb