Hops are the flowers of the hop plant Humulus lupulus, which in Latin means something like “extremely delicious.” They are used primarily as a bittering, flavoring and stabilizing agent in beer, to which, in addition to bitterness, they impart floral, fruity, or citrus flavors and aromas. In a conveniently beautiful twist of fate, studies also show hops may have natural calming effects due to their flavonoids and essential oils that are known to help with anxiety, mood issues and sleep.