This glossary defines the words used in the world of beer. Click a word to see its definition. To narrow your search, you can also select a letter below.
5 words for the letter H
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H
Haze
Natural characteristic of unfiltered beers (such as white beers). Haze is caused by protein residues, hop resin residues and tannins. It appears when the brewer cools the wort.
Head
The layer of foam that crowns the beer in the glass. Its ideal height depends on the beer style and the glass; if it is too thick, it reduces the amount of beer served (see Foam and Foam scraper).
Helles
“Light” in German. Blonde bottom-fermented beer born in Munich at the end of the 19th century, maltier and less bitter than a pils.
Hopping
Adding hops to the wort to obtain a very distinctive bitterness and aroma.
Hops
Climbing plant of the Cannabaceae family, grown for its cones, or female inflorescences, and used to flavor beer. These inflorescences, or clusters of flowers, produce a yellow powder containing bitter resins, called lupulin. This is what gives beer its slightly bitter taste!
Hops can grow up to 8 m tall. They used to be grown on wooden poles; they now grow on taut wires. In continental Europe, only the female hop flowers are used to flavor beer and give it its bitterness. Some hop varieties are known for their bitterness while others stand out for their aroma, so a brewer may use several hops to make a beer.