Glass of beer with foam on a wooden table with limes and motueka hops

Motueka

$3.00
$3.00
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Glass of beer with foam on a wooden table with limes and motueka hops
  • Glass of beer with foam on a wooden table with limes and motueka hops
  • Glass of beer with foam on a wooden table with limes and motueka hops
Motueka
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Motueka

$3.00 / oz

Bright lime and citrus up front, with light tropical and herbal notes underneath. Mojito-like. "Classic New Zealand" character.

Where It Lives

  • Tropical & Citrus (primary)
  • Floral & Herbal (secondary)

Storytime

Motueka is a New Zealand hop named after the Motueka region where it’s grown. Like many traditional New Zealand varieties, it carries a slightly sharper, greener, and more herbal character than most American hops. This character is present, but more subtle than Nelson Sauvin. It’s known for its very bright, zesty lime character with floral and herbal undertones. While it doesn’t have the same massive tropical punch as hops like Citra or Galaxy, it brings a clean, expressive citrus quality that works especially well in both IPAs and lighter beer styles.

One parallel to help understand the distinctions between NZ and US hops with tropical/citrus/stonefruit-forward traits is that American hops consistently have resin/dank/herbal undertones. "Traditional NZ" hops consistently have green/herbal/sharp undertones, often demonstrated well in (classic) NZ IPAs. Modern juicy NZ hops are much like modern American juicy hops.

Key Specs

  • Alpha Acids: 6.5 – 8.5%
  • Total Oil: 0.8 – 1.2 mL/100g
  • Origin: New Zealand
  • Form: Pellet
  • Common Substitutions: Saaz or Hallertau Blanc (in some recipes)
  • More tech specs here

Practical Use

Motueka is mostly used for aroma. It performs best in late boil, whirlpool, and dry hopping, where it delivers that bright lime and citrus character. It’s not as loud or complex as some of the bigger tropical hops, which makes it easier to work with in a lot of recipes. It plays well with other hops and doesn’t tend to overpower them.

On the dry hop side, 2–4 oz total in 5 gallons is a common range. You can push a bit higher if you want more intensity, but it usually stays cleanest when you don’t go too heavy. It works especially well in beers where you want noticeable citrus without a ton of sweetness or resin.

Best for: Late boil, whirlpool, and dry hopping. Brew day tip: It pairs nicely with Nelson Sauvin, Citra, or Mosaic if you want to build bright, layered citrus character.

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