<P> The first documented use of hops in beer is from the 9th century , though Hildegard of Bingen , 300 years later , is often cited as the earliest documented source . Before this period , brewers used gruit , composed of a wide variety of bitter herbs and flowers , including dandelion , burdock root , marigold , horehound ( the old German name for horehound , Berghopfen , means `` mountain hops '' ) , ground ivy , and heather . Early documents include mention of a hop garden in the will of Charlemagne 's father , Pepin III . </P>
when did hops start being used in beer
The first documented use of hops in beer is from the 9th century