Hop House 13: History, ingredients and where to enjoy a pint at My Bar

If you enjoy beer with character but still want something fresh, easy to drink and perfect for an Irish pub setting, you have probably heard of Hop House 13. This golden lager, created by the brewers at Guinness, has become a great choice for anyone looking for a pint with more personality than a standard lager, without the intense bitterness of an IPA.

At My Bar, our Irish pub in Barcelona city centre, Hop House 13 is part of our beer selection. On our drinks menu, it appears as an Irish lager with a hoppy profile and citrus notes on the nose, a description that matches the fresh and aromatic character highlighted by the brand in its official materials.

What is Hop House 13?

Hop House 13 is a golden lager developed by Guinness as part of its brewing experimentation. According to the official Guinness Hop House 13 page, it is a crisp, full-flavoured beer with fruity aromas and notes of apricot and peach. Guinness presents it as a hoppy lager, but not an overly bitter one.

The Diageo Bar Academy describes it as a refreshing golden lager brewed by Guinness, with floral, citrus and fruity notes. This helps explain why Hop House 13 works so well as a pint: it has enough flavour to stand out, while keeping the refreshing quality expected from a lager.

The origin of the name Hop House 13

The name Hop House 13 has a very specific origin. According to Guinness, the beer is named after an old hop storage building located at St. James’s Gate, the historic home of Guinness in Dublin. That building, known as Hop House 13, was used to store hops within the brewery complex.

This story is also referenced by Diageo Bar Academy, which explains that the beer was born at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, Guinness’s experimental brewing space in Dublin. This connection between tradition and innovation is one of the reasons Hop House 13 is so interesting: it is not a generic lager, but a beer linked to the Guinness universe and its culture of testing, blending and developing new recipes.

A beer born from Guinness experimentation

Hop House 13 was originally introduced in Ireland in 2015 as part of The Brewers Project, a Guinness initiative focused on reinterpreting recipes and developing new beers. Irish trade publication Shelflife covered its launch at St. James’s Gate and explained that the beer was created by Guinness brewer Peter Simpson, who wanted to develop a lager with more character and flavour.

This is an important detail for positioning the product: Hop House 13 was not created to be a basic lager, but a more aromatic, more hoppy golden lager with a personality clearly connected to Guinness.

Hop House 13 ingredients

According to Guinness, the basic ingredients of Hop House 13 are water, malted barley, hops and yeast. The official Guinness Ireland page lists these ingredients and describes the beer as golden, bright, refreshing and with a malty finish.

Diageo Bar Academy adds an important detail: Hop House 13 is brewed with Guinness yeast, Irish barley and hops from Australia and the United States. In launch coverage such as the article by Shelflife, those hops are identified as Galaxy, Topaz and Mosaic, three varieties often associated with modern aromatic profiles, including fruity, citrus and floral notes.

How is Hop House 13 brewed?

Hop House 13 is a lager, so it follows the general logic of the style: malt, water, hops and yeast work together to produce a clean, refreshing beer with a golden profile. The Diageo Bar Academy explains that beer is made from malted grains, water, hops and yeast, and that yeast converts sugars into alcohol and CO2 during fermentation.

In the specific case of Hop House 13, the key difference is its double-hopped profile, meaning hops play a more noticeable role than in many conventional lagers. This does not mean the beer is extremely bitter. Instead, the hops bring aroma, freshness and a more recognisable fruity layer.

Tasting notes: aroma, flavour and body

Official Guinness sources describe Hop House 13 as a golden, bright and clear lager. On the nose, it has sweet and fruity aromas with notes of apricot and peach. On the palate, it is fresh, full-flavoured, lightly hoppy and finished with a malty touch.

Diageo Bar Academy describes it as a lager with strong flavour, smooth malty notes and fresh hop aromas. For the drinker, this means a beer that is easy to enjoy but has more personality than a standard industrial lager.

Curiosities about Hop House 13

Its name comes from a real building at St. James’s Gate, connected to hop storage, according to Guinness.
It was born at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, Guinness’s experimental brewing space in Dublin, according to Diageo Bar Academy.
It was created by Peter Simpson, a Guinness brewer, according to Shelflife’s launch coverage.
It uses Guinness yeast, a detail highlighted by Diageo Bar Academy.
It combines hops from Australia and the United States, including Galaxy, Topaz and Mosaic, according to launch publications.
At My Bar, it appears as a 5% ABV Irish lager, according to the bar’s drinks menu.

How did Hop House 13 arrive in Spain?

There is no single public source confirming an exact national launch date for Hop House 13 in Spain. What is documented is that Hop House 13 is now part of Diageo’s beer portfolio in the Iberian market.

In October 2025, specialist media such as Food Retail reported the creation of Diageo Iberia, a division for Spain and Portugal managing the group’s brands, including Guinness and Hop House 13 within the beer category. The same report explains that distribution in mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla continues through Heineken Spain.

For that reason, it would not be accurate to claim that Hop House 13 “arrived in Spain” on a specific date without an official source confirming it. The correct approach is to say that it is currently part of Diageo’s beer ecosystem in Iberia and can be found in selected venues, including My Bar Barcelona.

Hop House 13 at My Bar Barcelona

On the My Bar drinks menu, Hop House 13 appears in the beer section as a lager of Irish origin, with 5% ABV, great flavour, hoppy character and citrus notes on the nose. It also appears among the premium half-pint options, alongside beers such as Guinness, Murphy’s, Moretti, Lagunitas and Paulaner.

Why try Hop House 13 in an Irish pub?

Hop House 13 makes more sense when enjoyed in a setting that matches its story. At My Bar, the venue is presented as an authentic Irish pub on Carrer Ferran, close to Las Ramblas, with Irish atmosphere, a bar, imported beers, sports screens and a terrace in Plaça Reial.

That context matters. Drinking a pint of Hop House 13 in an Irish pub is not the same as ordering it without context at any bar. Here, the product fits the space: Irish beer, pub atmosphere, a sharing-friendly menu and a strong location in Barcelona city centre.

What to pair with Hop House 13

Thanks to its fresh, hoppy profile and citrus notes, Hop House 13 pairs especially well with informal, savoury and shareable food. At My Bar, a good option is to enjoy it with items from the menu, such as tapas, burgers, patatas bravas, croquettes, mozzarella sticks, nachos or fish and chips.

The logic is simple: a lager with body, aroma and freshness works well with pub food because it refreshes the palate, balances stronger flavours and keeps the drinking experience light and enjoyable.

Hop House 13 vs a classic lager

If you usually order a classic lager, Hop House 13 can be a good step towards beers with more character without moving into very bitter profiles. The difference lies in the use of hops, the fruity notes and the connection with Guinness, which gives the beer a recognisable brewing story.

In other words, Hop House 13 is a good option if you want a golden, fresh and easy-drinking beer, but with more aroma and personality than a basic lager.

Frequently asked questions about Hop House 13

Is Hop House 13 made by Guinness?

Yes. Hop House 13 was created by the brewers at Guinness and is part of the Guinness beer universe, according to Guinness and Diageo Bar Academy.

What type of beer is Hop House 13?

It is a golden lager, fresh and hoppy, with fruity notes and a malty finish.

What ingredients does Hop House 13 contain?

According to Guinness, its basic ingredients are water, malted barley, hops and yeast. Diageo Bar Academy also highlights Guinness yeast, Irish barley and hops from Australia and the United States.

Where can I drink Hop House 13 in Barcelona?

You can drink Hop House 13 at My Bar Barcelona, an Irish pub located at Carrer Ferran, 8, in the city centre.

Does Hop House 13 pair well with food?

Yes. Its fresh, hoppy profile and citrus notes pair very well with pub food, tapas, burgers and sharing dishes.

Conclusion: a pint with history in Barcelona city centre

Hop House 13 is not just another Irish lager. It is a beer born from Guinness experimentation, connected to St. James’s Gate, brewed with Guinness yeast, Irish barley and aromatic hops, and designed for drinkers who want something fresh but full of personality.

If you are in Barcelona and want to try a Hop House 13 pint in an authentic Irish pub, My Bar is a direct choice: a great location, Irish atmosphere, draft beer and a menu that completes the experience.

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Hop House 13: History and Where to Try It in My Bar