Zappa Hop

"The Pachuco Hop?"

An honourable mention, in this case, for hop producers CLS Farms of Moxee, Washington State, who have named one of their hops 'Zappa'. I don't know if this is an official species name, but it's certainly a trademarked name! - a variety of Humulus lupulus'Neomexicanus'.

I don't know anything about the properties of hops, either, but those of the 'Zappa' variety are given as Alpha Range: 7-9%; Cohumulone: 40-45%; Total Oils: 0.8-1.2%

I'm sure this use of the name would be appreciated by FZ:

'Down in Joe's Garage
We didn't have no dope or LSD
But a coupla quartsa beer'
- Joe's Garage, 1979

and, indeed, beer companies have made use of the Zappa for their products, notably Lagunitas, who, according to eBay sale particulars quoted on Worthpoint (undated): 'Between 2006 and 2008 . . . released five Zappa beers, each commemorating a different album:

Freak Out ('a strong pale ale'), Kill Ugly Radio ('a showcase for Amarillo hops on a wheaty base'), Lumpy Gravy ('an imperial brown thing'), We're Only In It For the Money ('a Belgian Tripel') and Ruben & the Jets ('a chocolate pepper stout').

'They produced 8,000 cases of Freak Out, while subsequent releases in the series were bumped up to 15,000 cases.' . . .

. . . Meanwhile, back at the hop . . . according to a very informative article here on the Appellation Beer website, Eric Demarais of CLS Farms said: 'Why the Zappa name? Well, I do love and respect Frank Zappa's music. I grew up on it and still love it . . . I wanted a different type of name for a hop. With music and beer being so intricately linked, I wanted to honor and show respect to a great American musician by putting that name to a hop, that will go on a label, and I wanted that hop to kick ass like an American musician, and Zappa was the clear winner of my choice. Zappa rules!'

Lyrics copyright the Zappa Family Trust

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