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​Flavor First: A Study of North American Beer Drinkers’ Views Toward Proprietary Hops

D. Joshua Mayich (1), A. Luke MacNeil (2), and J. Robert Sirrine (3). 1. The Island Hop Company, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada. 2. University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada. 3. Michigan State University Extension, Suttons Bay, MI, U.S.A.​

 

Abstract
The cultivation and use of proprietary hops have increased substantially in recent years. However, little data exist regarding consumers’ views toward proprietary hops. The current study addressed this knowledge gap through a survey of North American beer drinkers. A sample of 550 participants filled out an online survey assessing (1) their knowledge of proprietary hops, (2) their purchasing attitudes and behaviors with respect to proprietary hops, and (3) their opinions on the superiority of proprietary hops to public hops. Across the sample as a whole, participants reported little knowledge of proprietary hops. They indicated that the use of proprietary hops had little impact on their purchasing attitudes and behaviors, and they did not view proprietary hops as being superior to public hops. This pattern of results held for both craft beer drinkers and mainstream beer drinkers, although there were some modest differences in the ratings supplied by these two groups. The results of the current study indicate that the general public has little knowledge of proprietary hops and that their attitudes toward these hops are indifferent. These results suggest that the developmental background of a hop is a less important driver of consumer decision making than other factors, such as the flavor characteristics of the beer. Given that consumers are the ultimate drivers of the beer market, hop producers and brewers may want to take note of these findings.