Hopping the Garden
Posted in Learning Experiences, Programs and Events on June 14th, 2012 by Matt Newman – Be the first to comment
Last week we announced the Urban Hops Project, the NYBG‘s momentous partnership with The Bronx Brewery, our borough’s up-and-coming beer craftsmen hailing from none other than nearby Mott Haven. This week we’re talking hops on a deeper level, engaging a bit of the chemistry that makes these subtle green flower clusters so integral to what reaches your bottle, can, or keg. And with so many craft brewers cropping up in the United States over the last decade, there’s good cause for bringing the all-important perennial, Humulus lupulus, back to New York.
Surprisingly enough, we’re far from the first folks to envision hop fields in the Empire State. The hop-growing tradition in New York is about as long as the state’s history, having been farmed for generations. In fact, our state was the largest hop producer in the U.S. through much of the 19th century. But, as almost any high-falutin beer commercial will tell you, the popular origin of the industry lies in Germany.
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