HOP ON THE BANDWAGON
Native Md. plant hints at new possibilities for local brewers
Maryland is widely recognized for its blue crabs and Old Bay seasoning, but if research into a local plant yields promising results, the state could become known for its spin on another classic: beer. The University of Maryland Extension, with help from farm brewers in the state, is testing whether a native Maryland hop plant discovered on a Frederick County farm can be grown at commercial scale. If successful, the project could be a game changer for Maryland craft brewers and other breweries up and down the East Coast, industry experts say.
“We want this whole thing to grow,” said Bryan Butler, who is spearheading the research as director for the University of Maryland Extension in Carroll County. “My dream is that there will be a beer that people refer to, one day, as ‘the’ Maryland beer.”
Hops, the cone-shaped flowers that give beer its flavor, have long been a challenge to grow in Maryland’s hot, humid climate. The plant fares much better in the Pacific Northwest, where temperatures are milder and where a majority of the country’s commercial hops are harvested.
The state’s native hop, however, is an outlier: It thrives in Maryland’s heat and is more tolerant of regional pests and diseases. Exactly how old the hop is or where it came from remains a mystery, but Butler said it’s clear the plant has evolved to withstand the region’s harsher conditions.
“One hundred years ago, there might have been 100 [hop] plants here in Maryland,” Butler said. “Ninety-nine died and that one lived. Through this project, we’re taking advantage of natural selection.”
The discovery of the Maryland hop, now