Hip Hops Hooray!

Farmers markets.  Road-side produce stands.  The "local section" of our grocery stores.  We continue to search for the most economically and environmentally friendly way to provide for our local growers and farmers.  Beer is not any different but is much harder to find.  If you are quaffing locally brewed craft beer, why not ensure that they have included locally grown ingredients?  Brewing companies throughout the Northeast, especially in central New York, continue to add locally grown hops to their batches.  Using "more natural" methods for growing their 20-foot bines, the farmers outside of the Syracuse area proudly boast high quality hops due to the ideal climate.  I found this great video through YouTube based on a story on CNN (sorry, it would not embed) explaining how Empire Brewing Company has embraced this trend and spearheaded the movement.  These New York farmers admit they are revitalizing a process that ceased nearly a generation ago...thanks, disease and Prohibition.  More importantly, they understand that beer is comprised of four basic ingredients:  water, barley, yeast, and hops; they are not using anything that ends in carboxymythyl or gum aramyth.  As with any sector of the locally grown movement, farmers must limit their supply so as not to put out shoddy ingredients.  Although this may result in fewer batches or barrels, brewers feel confident in the product they serve.

(Image provided by Syracuse.com)

So who is using local hops for their beers?  Below you will find a small list of the craft brewing companies taking part of the local ingredients movement and bolstering the local economies.  Additionally, organizations like Atlantic Hops and the Northeast Hop Alliance are supporting the movement for growers, brewers, and consumers.  Visit their websites to see all of the incredible work they do to support sustainable beer culture.  

• Empire Brewing Company - Syracuse, NY
• Brown's Brewing Company - Troy, NY
• Flying Dog Brewery - Frederick, MD
• Ithaca Beer Company - Ithaca, NY
• Portsmouth Brewery - Portsmouth, NH
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Chico, CA
• Barrington Brewery - Great Barrington, MA 

Let's raise a glass for growing green while drinking the amber, supporting local growers, and offsetting the greenhouse effect.  Slainte!