Hops - beyond the beer

by Milly Lierman, co-manager FairWinds FBG

Everyone knows about hops used in beer, but did you know about the other properties and uses of hops?  At FairWinds Food Bank Garden we love to learn about, experiment with, and share non-traditional plants!  Since we had a volunteer hops "bine" (see below for explanation) grow in the garden, we thought we would learn, grow and spread the word!

• Common Hops (the Humulus lupulus plant) are naturally bitter from oils in female cones (strobiles), but contain no intrinsic alcohol
• Native to Europe, Asia and North America hops were used millennia ago in the Near East and were a staple in herbal medicine in Europe by the 16th century (1)
• The fiber in the bines (not vines (5)) was used to make a rope or cordage, and the leaves and strobiles were used as a dye plant (2)
• They are called "bines" not "vines" because they do not produce the small tentacles that vines do to allow them to climb.  Instead they climb by spiraling their main stems upward in a tight, twisting motion. They use tiny, stiff hairs called trichomes along the stem that act like natural Velcro to grip a support structure.
• Hops have been used in the past, and are currently being studied, for their medicinal benefits (2,3)
• digestive aid
• antioxidant and antimicrobial properties
• mild sedative and anti-anxiety
• “phytoestrogens” (plant estrogens); chemicals may be able to mimic some of the effects of estrogen in the body which may help manage menopause symptoms (3)
• Uses
• teas (dried or fresh) (4)
• sachet under pillow as a sleep aids (4)
• added to skin care products to soothe skin inflammation
• Food and Sauces: Infused into marinades, dressings, and sauces to add an herbal, earthy, or bitter edge.
• Hop Shoots: Harvested in the spring when young and tender, then cooked and eaten like asparagus.
• Decorations: Dried bines and cones are used in wreaths, floral arrangements, and garlands.

Quite a few visitors at our garden for the 2026 mentioned that they also had hops at home and had no idea what to do with them.  Some were intrigued and partook of the free hops and/or bines we provided!  We hope they enjoyed playing with their newfound knawledge :)

References:

1. https://worldsensorium.com/beyond-the-brew-the-medicinal-power-of-hops/
2. https://www.learningherbs.com/blog/hops-uses#gsc.tab=0WebMD
3. https://www.druthersbrewing.com/the-many-uses-for-hops-outside-of-beer/
4. https://www.americanhopmuseum.org/post/bines-not-vines-hop-growth-science