Maryland has almost 100 local breweries, producing hundreds of local and regional beers. Some of those brews’ ingredients, though, aren’t so local.
The state’s largest brewery is teaming up with Maryland’s flagship institution to try and change that. Flying Dog Brewery wants to figure out if the state’s farms can support hops and, if possible, how they can become a quality supplier for local breweries.
More than 90 percent of hops are grown in the Pacific Northwest, said Flying Dog COO Matt Brophy. Flying Dog and the University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources are testing out 24 different hop plants to see how they fare in Maryland’s climate. Bryan Butler, a faculty member with the college, planted the 24 varieties last fall.
“We are trying to educate farmers on what quality looks like,” Brophy said.
Flying Dog uses local hops for their seasonal brew Secret Stash, but some hops brought by local farmers haven’t always been usable, he said. That’s…Read the full story from the Washington Business Journal.
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