Brewing beer with flowers is nothing new—dozens of beers can be found on the market that have one or more types of flowers as an ingredient. But while many of us already grow flowers, we might not have pegged them as something we would put in our beer. It’s not that different from adding other ingredients to your homebrew, and I have some suggestions for growing, harvesting, preserving, and brewing with them.
Growing
Growing the lushest flowers possible is ideal to get the most flavor from your petals. Unfortunately, nutrient-deprived soils and pests can get in the way of this. While fertilizers and pesticides might seem like the quickest, easiest route to having beautiful flowers, they also run the risk of introducing harmful chemicals into the plants you will eventually consume. Fertilizers can also have the tendency to promote more foliage than flowers. Visit your local garden store for recommendations on compost, which soil works best with your environment, and safe forms of pest deterrents.
Harvesting
The best time of day to harvest the flowers is in the morning after the dew dries, but before the daytime heat kicks in. Do it before the buds fully open because they retain the most intense oil concentrations, which will give you the most flavor. That’s unfortunate for the overall aesthetics in your garden but is a bonus to your beer! The upside is that proper harvesting can also encourage new growth in the plants. Be sure to select blooms that are free from damage and wilting and collect a little more than you actually need, just in case you have a mishap somewhere in the process. Discard all traces of stems and leaves, which could add a vegetable flavor to the beer.