Hops for a living

In the hoppy world of hops

​​​​​​Did you know that Carlsberg had its own hops breeding program until the 1960s led by Øjvind Winge, the pioneer of hop genetics, and that many hop varieties were developed at our Carlsberg Research Laboratory in Copenhagen? 

In those days, hops was mainly used for bittering beer, while today the demand for special aromas in beer has probably never been higher. Craft beers in the style of hoppy lagers and IPAs are very popular among consumers. The rich aromas - basically the taste - in these beer types originate from the hop plant too.

Hops is an aroma goldmine as it contains a myriad of aromatic compounds which can give distinct flavours like fruits, flowers, berries or resinous earthy arom​as to your beer.

At Carlsberg, we're always looking for better and more interesting, unique natural aromas for our beers. Therefore, we have a project team at our Carlsberg Research Laboratory in Copenhagen that focuses on hops – to ultimately breed unique hops exclusive for Carlsberg and suitable for local production.