FEW plants I encounter on my walks fill me with as much excitement as the hop: its spiky, palmate leaves on Velcro vines that clamber over hedgerows, up trees and even climbing the full height of a telegraph pole’s tethering cable.
The hop was introduced to England from Germany in the late 15th century, solely for the making of beer. It did, however, have a fight on its hands, as ale had
