The Mildest Beer: Exploring Low-Hop Varieties

Beer lovers are spoilt for choice when it comes to options with low bitterness. Beers with low bitterness also have low International Bittering Units (IBU). Beers with low IBU include wheat beers, stouts, porters, and lagers. Wheat beers, for example, are brewed with a large majority of wheat and are known for their hazy appearance and creamy texture. Stouts, on the other hand, are known for their low bitterness and sweetness from unfermented sugars. When it comes to lagers, American lagers such as Miller High Life and Coors are known for their less harsh taste.

Beers with the Least Amount of Hops

Wheat beers

The most well-known wheat beer is Hefeweizen, a German style of wheat beer that is popular around the world. Hefeweizen is typically unfiltered, bubbly, and has a fruity flavour. It is also light in colour and low in bitterness, with hints of banana and clove. It is best served at 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit in a flute or vase glass. Other varieties of wheat beer include the American wheat beer, which tends to be slightly hoppier than German-style wheat beers, the Berliner-style Weisse, which is often flavoured with fruit syrups, and the Belgian-style witbier, which is spiced with coriander and orange peel.

Stouts

For a stout recipe, hops in the 5% Alpha Acid Unit (AAU) range are used, and two ounces of hops are all you need. Fuggles/East Kent Goldings are often used, with one ounce added 10 minutes into the boil, then half an ounce midway through, and the last half ounce in the final 10 minutes of the boil.

For an Imperial Stout, a high-AA bittering hop is commonly used, such as Magnum. For an American Stout, high-AA American hops can be used. When the stout is only 4-5% ABV, it's not too hard to stick with Fuggles or East Kent Goldings (EKGs). But when it's closer to 6-8% ABV, that hop bill can get expensive.

For a traditional Irish dry stout, East Kent Goldings work well. One source recommends using 1.5 ounces at 60 minutes and 0.5 ounces at 30 minutes. Another recommends Willamette or Fuggles for stouts, bittering to 15-40 IBUs at 60 minutes, then adding 0.5-1 ounce at 15 minutes.

Other hops used in stouts include Nugget, Columbus, Chinook, Simcoe, Bramling Cross, Warrior, and Centennial.

Lagers

When it comes to specific brands, American lagers like Miller High Life and Coors are known for their more subtle hop presence. Additionally, popular imported lagers such as Amstel, Stella, and Corona are also considered less hoppy. These beers often have a lighter, more refreshing taste that makes them easy to drink and perfect for social gatherings or hot summer days.

While lagers typically have fewer hops than other styles like IPAs, it's important to note that hops are used to varying degrees in almost all beers. The role of hops in beer is to balance the sweet, flavorful sugars of barley and to act as a preservative. They add bitterness and help retain the foam and freshness of the beverage. However, some people prefer less bitterness in their beer, which is why lagers and other low-hop styles can be more appealing to certain palates.

If you're looking for a beer with even less hop character, you might want to explore wheat beers, stouts, porters, or some Belgian styles. These options often have a lower hop presence and can provide a nice alternative for those who are not fond of the bitter, hoppy taste that is prominent in many craft beers today.

Sour beers

Sour beer styles include:

• Lambics: Spontaneously fermented beers made in the Pajottenland region around Brussels, Belgium. Most lambics are blends of several seasons' batches or are secondarily fermented with fruits such as cherries or raspberries.
• Flanders Red Ale: Fermented with brewers' yeast, then placed into oak barrels to age and mature. The mature beer is usually blended with younger beer to adjust the taste for consistency.
• Berliner Weisse: A dry and tangy wheat beer from Northern Germany with low ABV and bright carbonation for easy drinking.
• Gose: A top-fermenting beer that originated in Goslar, Germany. This style is characterised by the use of coriander and salt and is made sour by inoculating the wort with lactic acid bacteria before primary fermentation.

Fruity beers

While hops are an essential ingredient in modern commercial brewing, there are still plenty of low-hop beers to choose from. Beers with low bitterness tend to have low IBU (International Bittering Units) ratings, so look out for beers with a low IBU #.

Wheat Beers

Wheat beers can be brewed with or without hops, and they often have a hazy appearance due to the yeast and wheat proteins remaining in the finished product. They can be challenging to brew because the proteins and grains tend to bind, making it difficult to extract the sugars. Wheat beers also have a creamy texture from the mixture of wheat and barley, with oats contributing to a rich, silky texture. They often have bready and citrusy flavours, with notes of lemon.

Stouts

Stout beers, which largely originate from Ireland and England, tend to have low bitterness, making them an excellent substitute for IPAs. While their dark appearance might give the impression that they are tough to drink, stouts can produce sweetness from unfermented sugars, which help offset any bitterness.

Lagers

Lager beers are made with bottom-fermenting yeast and have a lower alcohol content than some other beers. They are a great starting point for new beer drinkers or those looking for a less harsh taste. Examples of American lagers include Miller High Life and Coors.

Blondes, Hefeweizens, and Belgian Beers

Blondes, lagers, hefeweizens, wheat ales, and some Belgians tend to have lower hop character. Belgian beers are often hopped only once, early in the brewing process, so while they have some bitterness to balance the malt, the hops provide very little in terms of obvious flavours. They also tend to be yeast-forward, with a sweet and mildly fruity flavour, and many are spiced as well.

Porters, Nut Browns, and Oatmeal Stouts

Porters, stouts, and dark beers like nut brown ales and oatmeal stouts tend to be sweeter with less bitterness.

Sour Beers

Sour beers are the oldest type of beer, and they are seeing a rise in popularity as brewers experiment with wild yeasts to give their brews a distinctive tart and acidic flavour. Brewers often add different fruits, such as cherry, peach, or raspberry, creating the perfect combination of sour and sweet.

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