The 10/10 combo: Citra® + Mosaic®
The pairing that needs no introduction because it’s already in your favorite beer. Citra’s citrus and sweet fruit flavors weave seamlessly through Mosaic’s layered composition of tangerine, lime, blueberry, and passion fruit. Both can carry a beer on their own, but together, they’re unstoppable in any style. A foundational pairing for timeless, crowd-pleasing beers.
Citra® HBC 394 c.v.: Mango, grapefruit flesh, lime zest.
Mosaic® HBC 369 c.v.: Tangerine, lime, peach, passion fruit, blueberry.
For West Coast IPAs: Centennial + Vista
Hear us out. In the world of U.S. hops, there are countless combinations to adorn the beloved West Coast IPA. So why not give this public hop duo a try? Vista is a newer USDA release and was featured in the 2019 Hopsource selection, with brewers gravitating toward its melon, tangerine, pear, and green tea character. Its green fruit base blends well with the vibrant citrus and soft pine from Centennial.
Centennial: Orange blossom, lime, cherry, pine.
Vista: Melon, tangerine, pear, green tea.
For biotransformation: Chinook + Columbus
Biotransformation is the process by which hop compounds are converted into other aroma compounds — like geraniol transforming into citronellol, which presents as vibrant citrus and sweet fruit in the finished beer (traits that are especially sought-after in hazies). Chinook and Columbus are two varieties primed for exactly this. Chinook is loaded with geraniol, linalool, and even a touch of 4-MMP, making it a biotransformation workhorse across hotside, whirlpool, and dry hop additions. Often dismissed as a straightforward alpha variety, Columbus reveals a different side when used as an aroma hop — bright and full of linalool, carrying notes of ripe orange that open up beautifully in a hazy. ¹ Together they're an overlooked duo hiding in plain sight.
Chinook: Grapefruit, apricot, pine, juniper.
Columbus: Ripe citrus, black pepper, green onion, mango.
A fresh take on pilsner: Czech Saaz + Hallertau Blanc
The Czech and German duo are both built for old world style lagers, but their appeal isn't in similarity — it’s how well they complement each other. Saaz brings a variety of flavors like bergamot, cedar, and chamomile. Hallertau Blanc, a fresh departure from its noble lineage, answers with a blend of white wine grape, cassis, and lemongrass. Together they cover the full range of what a great pilsner asks for: an understated elegance with room to surprise.
Czech Saaz: Bergamot, honey, woody, chamomile.
Hallertau Blanc: White grapes, cassis, lemongrass, grapefruit
For peak citrus: Amarillo® + Eclipse®
Freshly squeezed orange! Orange zest! Just the entire orange, rinds and all. Amarillo is the citrus anchor of the U.S. hop world with the highest myrcene oil content of any hop (68-70%), but try blending with the sweet mandarin and fresh pine of Eclipse — its citrusy, Australian counterpart. This duo is likely right at home in a hazy, pale ale, or any fruit-forward IPA.
Amarillo® VGXP01 c.v.: Tangerine, apricot, melon, wildflowers.
Eclipse®: Sweet mandarin, citrus, fresh pine.
For nostalgic, pre-prohibition lagers: Cluster + Willamette
A historic American beer style calls for historic American hops. Cluster was the most widely grown hop in the U.S. by acreage until the 1970s, while Willamette followed close behind, becoming the dominant aroma variety after its 1976 release. Both defined the fields and the pint glass in early American brewing, until more flavorful hops that accelerated their retreat. They still grow quietly in hop yards today, their understated flavors a reminder of just how far American brewing has traveled, carrying flavors that feel less like relics than like roots.
Cluster: Lilac, apricot, lemon.
Willamette: Cedar, incense, anise, marjoram.
For maximum fruit: Krush® + Galaxy®
Imagine a ripe, loaded fruit parfait with peaches, passionfruit, mango, and mixed berries layering over each other with almost overwhelming sweetness. The hazy IPA is an obvious home for both Krush and Galaxy, but the duo has range. The brewers at John I. Haas recently proved it with a 70:30 Krush-to-Galaxy blend in a West Coast-style pilsner — tropical intensity reined in by crisp, clean structure.
Krush® HBC 586 c.v.: Fruit salad, mango, lychee, berries.
Galaxy®: Passionfruit, guava, peach, citrus.
Most compatible in a wheat beer: Magnum + Mandarina Bavaria
An ideal set-up to slam-dunk pairing: Magnum as a workhorse bittering hop, acting as the clean foundation for a flavorful counterpart like Mandarina Bavaria, which offers a diverse range of coveted compounds like the thiol 4-MMP. Expect a pleasant yet distinctive blend of vibrant citrus, pineapple, and strawberry. The German duo can work in a number of flavor-forward, European styles, but we think it’s right at home in a summery wheat beer.
Magnum: Subtle citrus, green fruit.
Mandarina Bavaria: Lime, lemon, pineapple, strawberry, cassis.
For the all-American pale ale: Cascade + Comet
Cascade brings grapefruit, pine, and soft floral character, while Comet zests things up with mandarin, lemongrass, and a distinct “wild American” character. Comet is one of the original “C” hops, released in 1974 and largely abandoned when Cascade went on to define the American pale ale, only for Comet to be quietly rediscovered by brewers in the 2010s. It's long been said that “C” hops pair well with other “C” hops, and this duo proves that. Two hops from the same era, a classic paired with a classic worth rediscovering.
Cascade: Floral, grapefruit, pine resin.
Comet: Mandarin, lemongrass, black currant.
¹ = Brewer's Note: Columbus LupoMAX® lots are hand-selected for peak aroma, not just alpha acid content. Lots harvested later often develop higher alphas, but run the risk drifting into "OG" territory, picking up the onion-garlic notes Columbus is notorious for.
