What do you mean by dry hopping?

Our newest creation, the Playful Passion Fruit , is a kombucha that sharpens your senses. We combined the delicious taste of tropical passion fruit with the art of dry hopping. What is that, I hear you ask?

Well, in the beer world, dry hopping is a term that is often used. And our brewer Joris has earned his stripes in that world. For many years he worked as a manager and beer sommelier at craftbeer café Gij&Ik, and before that at brewpub Paname Brewing Company in Paris. Gij&Ik has a sister company, Rabauw Craft Beer, which means that Joris has always been close to the brewing world. It was therefore not surprising that he decided to add a typical beer ingredient to our kombucha. The Playful Passion Fruit is a dry and fruity kombucha, perfect for a sunny day. Be surprised by the unexpected flavor combination and discover what dry hopping can mean for a drink you thought you knew by now.

What is hops?

Hops is not just a simple herb, it is an important ingredient in the beer brewing process. It not only ensures a longer shelf life of beer, but also adds flavor and aroma. Hops grow as a vine and can easily reach 7 meters in height. Hop cones grow on the plant, which you can use during brewing. A lot of hops are grown in Belgium, Germany, England and the United States, so the climate in the Netherlands is also excellent for it.

Hops are bitter right?

Hops don't necessarily have to be bitter. It depends on how you use it! If you don't heat hops, you get a lot of tasteful aromas. But if you heat it up, it creates that bitter taste that beer is so famous for. Fortunately, we have a trick up our sleeve when brewing our kombucha: the dry hop technique. We add hops at cold temperatures, so that we only get the delicious aromas and no bitterness. This is how we ensure that our Playful Passion Fruit kombucha is full of the most exotic and delicious scents and flavors. A true taste explosion in your mouth!

There is no shortage of variety in the world of hops. Each type of hop has its own unique flavor profile, from citrus and pine to spicy, floral, earthy and even fruity notes of strawberry and mango. In the Playful Passion Fruit we always use passion fruit, but we mix it with different types of hops to create the ultimate taste sensations. This time we opted for Cascade hops, which give us a citrusy and floral aroma. The perfect match with the fruity Mao Feng tea and the passion fruit.

Hop farmer Brabant Hop

How did we choose our hops? We started with a trip to BrabantHop in Wilbertoort, at a distance of 20 minutes from our brewery. Hop farmer Giel started growing his own hops a few years ago, because he, like us, thinks it's strange that so much is grown in our neighboring countries and almost nothing in the Netherlands. Giel gave us a tour with Brabant hospitality and we went home with three different types of hops: Cascade, Centennial and Brambling Cross.

Once back at the brewery, brewer Joris went all out: 27 different kombuchas, each with a unique composition and ratio of hops and passion fruit. But it didn't stop there, because then of course there had to be extensive tasting. Sameen, Joris's parents, brother and second cousin were all called in to help choose. In the end, the Cascade hop was chosen. The Centennial leaves too little room for the passion fruit for our taste, and the Brambling Cross has aromas that do not go well with passion fruit.

Kombucha on keg

But the party isn't over yet! The Playful Passion Fruit is also filled in kegs, so that it can be tapped at beer festivals. Because what could be cooler than a dry hopped kombucha on tap, in the sun, served by the brewer himself? Do you want to taste this delicious kombucha yourself? Then come along to Schenk in Aarle-Rixtel on Saturday 6 May, to Gimmert Gist on Sunday 9 July in Gemert, or to Bier op het Plein on Sunday 27 August in Beek en Donk. Of course you can also buy the Playful Passion Fruit kombucha via our webshop.