Tettnang Hops: The Original Noble Variety From Germany

History of Tettnanger Hops

The Tettnanger hop variety is named for Tettnang, Germany. Tettnang is a town near Germany’s southern border, close to Lake Bodensee, which is right along the border of both Switzerland and Austria. The lake acts as a temperature stabilizer of sorts — making the winters warmer and the summers slightly cooler than they might otherwise be — and creating an ideal hop growing climate. Tettnang is a city tied to hop farming by 170 years of tradition, though evidence of hop growing in the area stretches all the way back to 1150.

In 1844, seven citizens of Tettnang planted the first hop yard in response to a royal decree issued by King Wilhelm I. The decree was a reaction to the combined devastation of the Napoleonic Wars, the failure of several important crops, and the Rinderpest — a disease that greatly affected milk and cattle production. Hop production grew steadily as an improving rail system allowed ease of travel for seasonal workers and opened up the European market to Tettnang hop farmers.

Today, there are 135 hop farms operating in Tettnang creating large enough “hop swaths” that they are visible from space. The hops produced in Tettnang make up 5% of Germany’s total hop yield. Of that five percent, 80-85% is exported and the rest make their way into German beer.

Though, the area of land dedicated to growing Tettnanger has dropped over the last several years it still holds the top spot among hops farmed in the area — 732 hectares in 2016.

German Tettnanger is considered one of the four classic noble hop varieties along with Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Saaz, and Spalt. Though its origins are unknown it is very similar genetically to the Czech Saaz hop variety. It is an old landrace variety, meaning it developed through natural adaption to the physical and cultural environment instead of specific traits being artificially selected for.

Tettnanger is also grown in Switzerland, the United States, and Australia and it can be confusing trying to tell Tettnanger hops from these regions from those coming out of Germany. The suffix “er” actually signifies a product of a given region, thus a hop product named “Tettnanger” should be from Tettnang.

Unfortunately the other regions have taken to using this same name. So, often brewers and suppliers will specify hops from the German region by using “Tettnanger Tettnang.”

The Tettnanger hop grown in the U.S. is thought to be of Swiss stock and not the original German pedigree. It’s characteristics more closely resemble and likely related to the English Fuggle variety — more earthy tones and less of the floral, slightly fruity qualities shared by both Tettnanger Tettnang and the closely related Saaz.

One defining difference between the two cultivars is the red stripe found on the German Tettnang bines; a feature missing from the U.S. variety.

How to Grow & Brew Tettnanger Hops

Before you attempt to grow Tettnang Tettnanger hops on your own, we would recommend that you know and follow best practices when it comes to growing hops. Every variety is a bit different, and may require a little different care.

When deciding what type of hop to grow, I would recommend that you talk to other local growers or somebody at your homebrew shop to get a better idea on the different hop varieties that will grow best in the climate you live.

General Characteristics:

• Environment — Grows well in moderate climates
• Growth Rate — Moderate to High
• Yield — Low
• Cones — Medium sized and moderate to compact
• Maturity — Early; bine has a characteristic red stripe
• Susceptible To — Moderately susceptible to downy mildew
• Resistant To — Verticillium wilt; moderately resistant to powdery mildew
• Ease of Harvest — Unknown
• Storage — Poor to Moderate (61% alpha acid content remaining after 6 month storage at 20°F)
• Availability — Rhizomes are available, but make sure you are getting the German variety and not the U.S. variety from the seller.

Aroma & Sensory Description:

Tettnang hops have a mild but distinct floral and spicy character. Its characteristics are very similar to Saaz. It is often described as mildly fruity or citrus-like, while still being able to impart herbal or earthy qualities to the final beer.

Use:

Tettnanger is commonly used as both a bittering hop and an aroma/favor hop.

Can Substitute With / For These Hops:

These are general substitutions and are not perfect Tettnang Tettnanger clones in any respect. Each hop variety is unique in some way, so do not expect the exact same beer you’d get if you were using Tettnanger hops. Obviously, this substitution goes the other direction too, using Tettnang Tettnanger as a sub for one of the below listed hops.

• Saaz
• Spalter Select
• Hersbrucker
• Santiam

Common Beer Styles Using Tettnanger Hops:

Due to their versatility and multiple uses while brewing, Tettnanger hops are commonly used a wide variety of different styles. If you’re looking to experiment with brewing Tettnang hops, you may want to try brewing a recipe that fits into one of the styles listed below.

• German Pilsner
• Amber Lager
• German Dark Lager
• Light Lagers
• Bavarian Hefeweizen
• American Wheat
• American Pale Ale
• Belgian Pale Ale
• Belgian Witbier
• Golden Ales
• Mai Bock
• Doppelbock
• American Cream Ale
• Märzen / Oktoberfest
• Kölsch & Summer Ales
• Altbier
• Lambics
• Munich Helles

Commercial Examples:

Below is a list of beers that showcase Tettnang hops. To get a better idea of the overall flavor and aroma characteristics you can expect from this noble hop variety, I would recommend sampling as many of these as you can find.

• Boston Lager from Boston Beer Company (aka Samuel Adams) — *Uses Tettnang Tettnanger and Hallertau Mittelfrueh.
  • ** Samuel Adams makes several other beers with Tettnanger including their Chocolate Bock, Double Bock, Octoberfest, and Old Fezziwig Ale.
• Braumeister Pils Tettang Tettnanger from Victory Brewing Company — *Uses Tettnang Tettnanger only, but limited by hop availability.
• Adirondack Lager from Saranac Brewing Company — *Uses Tettnang and Hallertau
• Scrimshaw Pilsner from North Coast Brewing — *Uses Tettnang and Hallertau hops
• Golden Ale from Red Hill Brewing Company — *Uses Halletau and Tettnang
• Park Filling Station from Hogback Mountain Brewing Company — * Uses Tettnang hops (whether other hops are used is unknown)
• Kronen Bier and Kronen Pils from Brauerei & Gasthof zur Krone — *Both use Tettnang hops
• 25th Anniversary Keller Pils from Summit Brewing Company — *Uses Tettnanger and Huell Melon

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