Hops in New York State

Hops was first introduced to the United States in 1629 from England. In 1808, Madison county, New York was home to the first commercial hop yard in the United States. By 1860, the majority of American hops came from New York State (Otsego, Madison, and Schoharie counties).

Cooperstown, NY was known as "The King of Hops." In 1909, a fungus was spreading on the hops crops and by 1920, the crop was basically destroyed by the downy mildew. The fungus was not totally to blame for the downfall of the hops, for in the West Coast, hops were being grown with greater yields per acre bringing the price down and taking away profits the hops farmers in New York were receiving. In the West Coast where it is drier, they did not have to worry about the fungus that was affecting New York State. Then came the Prohibition, which lead to a dramatic decrease in the need for hops.

Today the Northeast Hops Alliance is a group of farmers and brewers promoting hops growing in New York State. ...more>>