In the current era of craft beer, it’s safe to say that drinkers can expect the unexpected. Shop shelves are lined with cans that boast wild graphics, clever names, and strange ingredients. It takes a lot to stand out in the sea of brightly colored 6-packs and hyped-up collab brews, but there’s one add-in that still has some shock value: Anchovy hops.
To uncover the story behind this somewhat unsettling ingredient, VinePair tapped Matt Storm, co-founder of Fast Fashion Brewing, the Washington brewery that originally gave the hop its provocative name.
The origins of this controversial ingredient can be traced back to lower Yakima Valley’s Segal Ranch, a third-generation family farm that produces popular hop varieties, as well as some more experimental plantings. In September 2020, one of Segal’s more out-there strains, then dubbed 24B-05, grabbed the attention of two up-and-coming brewers visiting the farm: Fast Fashion Brewing’s owners Storm and Brian Strumke. The pair examined and sampled six or seven hop examples to potentially brew with, and landed on the experimental 24B-05 due to its intriguing aromas. The farm offered a program where brewers could pay up front to grow the hops to later use them, and with Fast Fashion Brewing’s investment, the variety was scaled up from one row of hop vines to a full acre.
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Though some brewers stick with the numerical name of experimental hops once they’ve purchased them, when Storm and Strumke finally got their hands on the first harvest of 24B-05, they wanted to put their own stamp on it.
“The first beer we made with it was called Hot Pizza,” Storm says. “Brian thought to call the new hop ‘Anchovy’ since it would be like hot pizza with anchovies — the most ridiculous topping.”
So, to answer the burning question in everyone’s brains: No, the hop and the beer don’t taste like anchovies. Instead, they have an appealing, fruit-forward profile.
“It’s like a big punch of watermelon Jolly Rancher,” Storm says. “It has some of those classic Pacific Northwest flavors like citrus and pine, too, almost like cascade or centennial. But the thing that really jumps out is the watermelon.”
In fact, the pair originally planned to change out the hops as different “toppings” for the brew each year, but the Anchovy brew turned out so well, it became a staple in their frequently-rotating portfolio of beers. They even shared the hops with a few like-minded brewers to make their own limited-edition Anchovy brews, stirring up even more excitement for the new variety.
While the beer was a success, according to a report from DC Beer, Segal Ranch owner John Segal wasn’t too pleased with the naming decision. “Why don’t you just call the hop Sh*t?” Segal told DC Beer. “Because, as far as I’m concerned, there’s sh*t and then the next smelliest thing is an anchovy.”
The Fast Fashion Brewery owners admit the name does cause some occasional hesitation among guests, but overall, it’s just increased interest in the beer. “It’s so brash that people want to ask questions about it,” Storm says. “You have more people ask about hops than ever. In that regard, it’s a success.”
Despite the strange name, the nation’s new batch of Anchovy beers were so compelling that more U.S. breweries and international producers now seek out the hop. Some are even leaning into its fishy title with anchovy-themed beer labels. As a result, Segal Ranch has significantly increased its plantings of Anchovy to try to meet the growing demand.
Those interested in tasting the hop for themselves should venture to Fast Fashion Brewing’s annual Anchovy Hop Festival. The event celebrates beers that boast the unconventional hop with brews from across the country and, of course, some hot pizza with anchovies.
