Vermont Hops Today
Our hop yard, surrounded by the Green Mountains of Vermont
In 2023, Vermont craft brewing continues to lead the nation in so many ways. We produce the most barrels of beer per capita, per start, and we also win national recognition for the quality of our products. We have craft breweries all over the state, some longtime leaders in the industry and some new players emerging every year. We also have a population of consumers who deeply love craft beer, and are invested in supporting local producers.
The missing piece here is hops. While we produce an enormous amount of beer in the Green Mountain State each year, our local brewers are using ingredients grown almost entirely out of state. In some cases, this is inevitable. Vermont has never been a real player in grain production, though we do produce some local malt products. We have also taken a century’s interlude from growing hops, at a time when big conglomerates in the Pacific Northwest have come to dominate the industry with an almost complete monopoly.
That’s unfortunate, because hops are a prime crop for Vermonters to be growing. Our state is located at the ideal latitude for thriving hop plants, as demonstrated by the incredibly vibrant hop farming scene which existed prior to Prohibition. The unique character of our terroir also creates hops which possess a distinctive sensory profile that’s more fruity and fragrant than that of other American growing regions. At a time when Vermont brewers are at the forefront of creating new flavors and aromas, that’s a huge selling point for Vermont-grown hops.
With Vermont brewers using over 1 million pounds of hops each year, our local industry could support growers across more than 1200 acres of farmland. Currently, less than 50 acres are being cultivated in the state. That means there’s over a thousand acres of potential hop yard that could be supported by in-state breweries alone–not to mention other producers across the Northeast. This huge potential for expansion could be a lifeline to many farmers struggling with the harsh reality of a changing dairy industry and the difficulty of maintaining a profit margin with our more familiar crops. This is an incredible opportunity for us to build on our already rich agricultural landscape while keeping more of the proceeds of our booming beer industry in the local community.
Here at Champlain Valley Hops, we’re excited to be supplying many local breweries with ingredients grown in-state. More than that, though, we’re thrilled to be starting a conversation about one of beer’s lesser-known aspects. Everyone can talk about how a particular brew is “hoppy” but most beer drinkers (and even many brewers) no very little about hops themselves or how they’re produced. We believe that by starting this conversation, we’re opening the door to a true revival of Vermont’s historical hop industry, as well as helping to strengthen our food system for the future.
