Hops vs juniper
The two resinous cones behind two European drinking industries, neither of which is a berry, and both of which are far more widely distributed than their brewing regions suggest.
botanical
What is being compared
Why these get confused
Both are routinely called berries and neither is one.
Point by point
| Aspect | Hop flower | Juniper berry |
|---|---|---|
| The plant | Humulus lupulus, native across Eurasia, north Africa and North America. | Juniperus communis, circumboreal from the Arctic to Mediterranean mountains. |
| What it is | A papery cone, picked in late summer and kiln-dried. | A fleshy cone taking two or three years to ripen. |
| Flavour | Very bitter and resinous, with a citrus-pine top note. | Piney and resinous with a peppery bite, and much less bitter. |
| What it built | Hopped beer, and the oast houses and hop gardens that shaped landscapes. | Gin — a spirit cannot legally be gin without it. |
| Preparation | Steeped; a few cones is plenty. | Crushed before use, or almost nothing comes out. |
| As an infusion | Rarely drunk alone twice; a bittering component. | Also a component, though gentler and more approachable. |
The short answer
Juniper is the more drinkable of the two and hops the more educational. Both are met more honestly in the drinks they define than in a cup.
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