Danish hops are growing again

Scientists from Aarhus University is working in making Danish beer even more Danish.

Beer is experiencing a renaissance in Denmark and there a lot of new breweries has been created. Even though the beer has been produced in Denmark, the hops have been imported over the last century. In other words does Danish beer not have a unique Danish hop flavour.

says Senior Advisor Gitte Kjeldsen from The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at University of Aarhus (DJF).

The scientists at DJF wants to make Danish beer Danish again. Apparently a beer with Czech hops is not danish enough. The aim is to work with Danish brewers in compiling a selection of hops plants that can be used for brewing.

Right now the scientists are documenting the gathered hop plants form all over Denmark. They are comparing the plants with known foreign hops as to resistance to fungi attracts, aroma, bitterness and requirements for growing them. They want to make the production one hundred percent organic.

The project is called "Recreate the foundation of hop production in Denmark with unique Danish flavour and aroma" and danish readers can read more on www.danskhumle.dk.

An interesting point is that both the smallest breweries (Fuglebjerggaard) and the biggest breweries (Carlsberg) are working together on this project.

Is you are in Denmark you too can participate actively by collecting hop plants.