by SARAH PRATER MS, RD/LD
Craft cannabis and craft beers share many similarities, from the rise in popularity of their respective industries to the appreciation of both as an art and science. As the title of this article suggests, yes, the hops that have become so famous for giving craft beer their different flavor profiles and the plant we have celebrated for its medicinal purposes’ cannabis, are actually cousins! Humulus lupulus, the common hop or hops is a species of flowering plant in the hemp family Cannabaceae, which sounds like cannabis already, as cannabis also falls within this family. 9
JUNE 2022
Cannabis
We as humans use our senses to understand and learn about the world around us. Notably, cannabis and beer (hops), two really bring out our sense of smell and taste, arguably for sight as well. Who doesn’t like the sight of a beautiful, resinous craft bud or of a cold glass of craft beer with an appealing, unique color? This is exciting for people who like to try new things AND who like to have their senses teased and pleased. Both plants contain terpenes that lend to craft beer’s flavor profile, to craft cannabis’ taste and overall aroma for these two cousins.
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They have some of the same terpenes like pinene, humulene, and myrcene. The fact that these plant cousins share some of the same terpenes lends to why both share some of the same words like dank, earthy, citrusy, floral, and skunky. This makes a lot of sense as to why these two would pair well together, not to mention these cousins also have their own mind-altering effects, in which terpenes can play a role, especially for cannabis. Not only sharing in chemical properties, but the buds of cannabis and hops sure do look similar to each other.
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Beer
Lead by passionate people who thrive on creating new, yet quality beers and strains is another common characteristic within these industries. Cultivation of both plants has begun to lead to smaller, “hand-crafted” farms, which produce top-of-line premium buds and if you will, gourmet hops. What also makes this fun for everyone is that people can now try their hand at home brewing and growing cannabis in their homes! Some suggestive pairings of specific beers would recommend the skunky IPAs, lager style, fruity, sours, and even a few stouts with their deep, rich flavors.
Oklahoma native, who now perfects his knowledge of craft beer as a Colorado bartender, Justin Crawford, has some excellent pairings he himself has discovered and is excited to share. So, let’s get crafty with trying his personal recommendations: Horse and Dragon stout from Sad Panda brewery, a coffee stout that’s a hard hitter would pair nicely with a nighttime indica like the Night Nurse strain, known for its earthy, almost spicy coffee aromas.
