hops (place)

Hops is also a chain of microbrewery restaurants. The food and the beer are made from scratch at each Hops location.

A Bit of History: The first Hops restaurant was built in Clearwater, Florida in 1988. The concept quickly caught on and soon there were 13 locations in the state of Florida. In 1996 Avado Brands Incorporated bought the restaurants and concept. Currently there are 74 Hops restaurants in 16 states.

At each restaurant 4 signature beers are brewed:

• Clearwater Light- lowest in calories and carbohydrates. Named after the city in which the first Hops was located.
• Lightning Bold Gold- a medium bodied, lager style beer.
• Hammerhead Red/Thoroughbred Red- amber ale brewed with caramel malts.
• Alligator Ale- mahogany colored ale with flavors of dark malts and hops.

Golden Hammer/ Golden Thoroughbred- a blend of two beers; Lightning Bold Gold and Hops signature red beer.

Nectar- a blend of two beers; Alligator Ale and Hops signature red beer.

Raspberry Brew- raspberry liqueur added to any Hops signature beer or seasonal brew.

Hops also brews five seasonal beers:

• Big Skeeter Pale Ale- medium bodied, pale Ale with a golden amber hue. Brewed with Chinook and Willamette hops.
• Flying Squirrel Brown Nut Ale- a deep amber colored beer with a nutty, toasted finish.
• Lumberjack Oatmeal Stout- a rich, aromatic stout with a malt finish.
• Beat the Heat Summer Wheat- light, straw colored ale. Brewed with more than 50% wheat and served traditionally unfiltered.
• Hoptoberfest- a medium bodied, reddish-golden, classic Oktoberfest brew with a mild hoppy finish. Hoptoberfest is a lager style beer brewed with four types of barley, filtered water and hops.

Hops locations: Colorado (7), Connecticut (3), Florida (32), Georgia (5), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (1), Maryland (1), Minnesota (2), Mississippi (1), Missouri (1), North Carolina (4), Ohio (4), Rhode Island (2), South Carolina (4), Tennessee (3), and Virginia (3).

Types of hops used by Hops:

• Fuggles- originated in England. They were discovered in 1875 by Richard Fuggle and are currently grown throughout the pacific northwest.
• Hallertau- currently grown in the pacific northwest. Hallertau hops are known as a classic noble hop.
• Czechoslovakian Saaz- Classic noble hops that are also grown in Poland and the Ukraine.

Good to know: In the year 2,000 Hops sold 13,583,456 pints of on-site microbrewed beer, enough beer to give each resident of Florida their own pint of Hops beer.

I Am the Very Model of a Modern Teenage Hops Hostess

(Sung to the tune of “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General")

I am the very model of a modern teenage Hops hostess: I go to school and go to work; I am the gal with the "mostest". When it comes to seating and guest greeting, to perfection I come closest. I am the very model of a modern teenage Hops hostess.

I wipe the tables sweep the floor I clean the windows and the doors. When a server’s mad and yells at me I seat them with the elderly. Every minute I get yelled at for forgetting menu counts So, I impress the manager with a large, yet fake, amount.

I fold kids’ menus stuffed with crayons. The specials board I yearn to draw on. I clean the ashtrays with a napkin; I take them out and bring them back in. When it comes to seating and guest greeting, to perfection I come closest. I am the very model of a modern teenage Hops hostess.

I spend all my paychecks on black pants and my tip share on “Safe-Tracks” I wear my hair up certainly. I teach the guests about the brewery. I hold the doors when guests come by. And when raining my umbrella keeps them dry.

I wear a smile when we’re busy I wear a smile when I’m alone. I even make sure that I smile when taking "to-go’s" on the phone. When it comes to seating and guest greeting, to perfection I come closest. I am the very model of a modern teenage Hops hostess.

Location information found at Hops website (www.hopsrestaurants.com); all other information comes from my employment as a Hops Restaurant hostess. Song is original. (not suprisingly I'm sure)