The geographic dispersion of hop production in the United States: Back to the future?

Abstract

The U.S. has long been a major producer of hops. Hops were first produced in New England and New York, and then in the Great Lakes Region. Since the late nineteenth century, the Pacific Northwest has been the dominant producer of hops. However, due to the growth of the craft beer industry there has been an increase in hop production in several states, particularly states that were once major producers such as New York and Michigan. However, due to climatic and economic factors, the Pacific Northwest states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho will likely remain the major producers.