One evening, when I was around five years old, I asked my dad if I could try a taste of his beer. He agreed, but only if I took a tiny sip. The ethanol in the beer burned my mouth and throat. But I also noticed the bitter taste. The bitterness came from the phenolic humulone (alpha-lupulic acid) from hops, the flowers of the hop plant. Lips curled, brow furrowed, I asked, “Why do you like that?” He replied, “It’s an acquired taste.” It was anathema to me.
