The impact of hop origin information on the sensory and hedonic evaluation of highly involved consumers of craft beer

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to explore the impact of the origin of hops on the sensory and hedonic evaluation of highly involved craft beer consumers. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected through a between-subject tasting experiment, where the origin of hop was manipulated (imported vs locally grown). The craft beer samples used in the experiment were produced using hops of similar age but grown in two distinct places: USA (imported hop) and in the city of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, where the experiment was conducted (locally grown hop). The sensory and hedonic evaluations of highly involved craft beer consumers (n = 100) were collected after tasting the samples. Findings The origin of hop proved to be significant in affecting participants’ sensory and hedonic evaluations. It was observed that women were more sensitive than men to the origin information: when information was given, differences were found only on men’s scores of dryness/astringency; while in women, significant differences were found not only in dryness/astringency, but also in bitterness and refreshing, which are important attributes in the sensory profile of craft beer. It was also confirmed the effect of localness in hop cultivation, once men’ and women’s scores on liking were higher for the sample brewed with locally grown hop. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first work using craft beer brewed with hops cultivated in Brazil and a sample of Brazilian craft beer consumers, therefore, providing a significant contribution to the field of consumer behavior. Furthermore, it adds to the discussion on sex-/gender-related differences regarding sensory expectation and perception of foods.

Guest editorial: Craft beers: consumer perception, motivation and demand in a fast-rising market

“…The authors highlight how specific sustainable attributes affect consumer purchase intention, such as water saving, carbon footprint reduction, organic farming of raw materials used by brewers and local sourcing. In line with Cassago et al (2023) and Norris et al (2024) from this special issue, this study underscores the growing consumer preference for products that align with environmental values and local sourcing and the critical role these preferences play in shaping the CB industry. The findings highlight the importance of effectively communicating these attributes better to intercept the sustainability-oriented behaviour of young adults in Brazil, underscoring the relevance of innovations in packaging.…”

“…The seven papers that comprise this special issue bring valuable theoretical and managerial insights into the marketing and economics of CBs. They are written by researchers from the traditional major brewing countries, such as the USA (Norris et al , 2024), Mexico (Castillo-Ortiz et al , 2024), as well as from Italy (De Pascale et al , 2023), Brazil (Cassago et al , 2023; Lourenco and Piotto, 2024), Australia (Tham et al , 2023) and Hungary (Bakucs and Fertő, 2023). The accepted manuscripts cover many of the abovementioned research areas, enriching the actual knowledge in the field of consumers’ profiles and motivations (De Pascale et al , 2023), sensorial and hedonic aspects of CB consumption (Cassago et al , 2023; Castillo-Ortiz et al , 2024), consumers’ perceptions and sensitivity towards environmental sustainability solutions in CB production (Lourenco and Piotto, 2024; Norris et al , 2024), CBs and tourism (Tham et al , 2023), and the geographical economics of CB sector (Bakucs and Fertő, 2023).…”