The Best Beers Brewed with Flowers (in Addition to Hops, of Course)

By Lee Heidel Updated January 6, 2020

The month of May welcomes spring and with the changing of the season, the flowers return.

Innovative craft brewers are taking advantage of the aromatic and flavorful properties of flowers to incorporate a little something special into their beers. Hibiscus is a very popular choice, as are roses, elderflower, and lavender. The herbal notes imparted from using flowers are often complemented by a sweet undertone that can elevate lighter bodied beers from pale ales to saisons. Lest we forget, the venerable hop cone itself is technically a flower, so there’s nothing more traditional than tossing a few flowers in the brew kettle.

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The next time you’re out shopping for a springtime sipper, give one of these flower-inspired beers a try.

Tumbacalzones by Treintaycinco

Currently available throughout Costa Rica, you may have to buy a plane ticket to try this beer. The bright pink label and short, medicine-style bottle make it immediately recognizable on shelves. This beer is known for its heavy use of flor de jamaica (the regional term for Hibiscus flowers) and pours a strong rose color into a glass. The mild base malts allow the sweetness and delicate spicing to shine through. You’ll have to ask a local about translating the name. They’ll appreciate the laugh.

Spontanelderflower by Mikkeller

Elderflower is making serious headway into ciders from big names like Angry Orchard and Strongbow. But it has also found a home with traditional brewers using long established techniques. Mikkeller uses elderflower to create a sweet and funky lambic sour ale dubbed Spontanelderflower. It has a dry finish that is preceded with a complex flavor blend reminiscent of tart apples, cheese, and biscuit with a salty bite.

Picture of Nectar by Southbound Brewing Co.

Showing how elderflower can be taken in a completely different direction, Southbound uses it to great effect in this bright double IPA. The peach additions meld with grassy notes from the flower for a unique sipper that comes in at a big 9.3 percent alcohol by volume.

That’s what we call a bouquet.

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Liquor, Beer, Wine & Drinks

Lee Heidel is the managing editor of Brew/Drink/Run, a website and podcast that promotes brewing your own beer, consuming the…

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The 7 Best Beer Growlers for Enjoying Your Favorite Pour on the Go

best beer growler on amazon

Whether you’re filling up at your favorite local craft brewery or you’re brewing some homemade suds yourself, the historic growler has long been and still remains one of the best ways to store your beer while retaining its flavor (but only if you know how to properly clean it). These handy vessels have come a long way from the cork-topped ceramic jugs of yesteryear (of the kind most commonly associated with moonshine), with today’s market offering everything from no-nonsense but high-quality glass growlers to insulated stainless steel models that can keep your beer frosty for hours and hours.

The craft brewing renaissance has brought this alcohol icon back in a big way, and for one simple reason: Refillable growlers, typically sized at 64 ounces, are one of the most cost-effective ways to stock up on your favorite brews, giving you more bang for the buck than you get buying bottles and cans (glass growlers are also a must-have among homebrewers).

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The Best Fresh Hop Beers to Drink Now

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When it comes to hop-forward beers like IPAs, the fresher the hops, the better -- any good brewer can attest to that. Anybody who has savored the 3-Way IPA or Pliny knows as much. It’s why beer heads scan for canning dates and ask for the just-made stuff. In terms of the extreme seasonality, freshness, and festive atmosphere, the fresh-hop run is the beer equivalent of Beaujolais Nouveau. Taste what they’re so stoked about with these standout fresh-hop beer options with beer glasses.
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The 5 Best Hawaiian Beers for Potable Paradise

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As big and diverse as our nation is, there’s nothing quite like Hawaii. The Rainbow State touts tropical weather, unmatched geology, mouthwatering beaches, incredible National Parks, and a culture completely its own.
The islands are also home to a surprisingly strong craft beer scene. No, Hawaiians are not harvesting local hops for production like we do on the west coast of the mainland, but locals are taking advantage of select indigenous ingredients and throwing them in tasty batches of brew -- things like coconut, passion fruit, hibiscus, pikake flowers, and more.
Unfortunately, being part of a small enough production scale, a lot of the most interesting beers stay in Hawaii because it really doesn’t make sense for them to cross the Pacific. Yet, as the relatively young scene grows, more and more Hawaiian-made options will likely land on the mainland.
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