So far we have treated solely of the somewhat chequered history of the hop. Let us now consider its merits and uses. Thus sang the poet:—
Lo! on auxiliary Poles, the Hops Ascending spiral, rang’d in meet array: {80} Lo! how the arable with Barley-Grain Stands thick, o’er-shadow’d to the thirsty hind Transporting prospect!—These,——— ————infus’d an auburn Drink compose Wholesome of Deathless Fame.
But from poets we do not, as a rule, gather much practical information, except from such as worthy old Tusser. Harrison, in his description of England, says: “The continuance of the drinke is alwaie determined after the quantitie of the hops, so that being well hopped it lasteth longer.” A modern writer puts it thus: “The principal use of hops in brewing is for the preservation of malt liquor, and to communicate to it an agreeably aromatic bitter flavour. The best are used for ale and the finer kinds of malt liquor, and inferior kinds are used for porter.”
“Brew in October and hop it for long keeping,” was the excellent advice given by Mortimer. Dr. Luke Booker, in his sequel poem to the Hop Garden, of course devotes some lines to this subject:—
Hop’s potent essence, Ale.——bring hither, Boy! That smiling goblet, from the cask just brimmed Where floats a pearly star. By it inspired, No purple wine—no Muse’s aid I ask, To nerve my lines and bid them smoothly flow.
And in another place:—
Then whencesoever the Hop, That flavouring zest and spirit to my cask Imparts, preservative—a needless truth ’Twere to reveal. There are, whose accurate taste Will tell the region where it mantling grew.
In relation to his allusion to a “pearly star,” Dr. Booker tells us that, “When ale is of sufficient strength and freshness, there will always float a small cluster of minute pearl-like globules in the centre of the drinking vessel, till the spirit of the liquor is evaporated.”