Craft beer: Florida is growing its own hops, and they taste like candy

Brad Buck
·2 min read

Beer makers like the flavor and aroma that come from Florida-grown Cascade hops, says a University of Florida Extension agent. They say it tastes a little like candy.

Matt Smith admits his sample size is small thus far, only seven brewers, but he’s excited by what he’s hearing. Of those he’s polled, most said they would brew craft beer made from Florida-grown Cascade hops if given a chance.

“Cascade is traditionally grown in the Pacific Northwest and tends to provide floral, citrus and spicy flavors to the product, but most of the brewers who used Florida-grown Cascade hops tasted candied lemon and tropical fruit flavors,” said Smith, an extension agent with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences serving Pasco, Hernando and Sumter counties.

University of Florida researcher Dr. Shinsuke Agehara in a field of Florida-grown hops.
University of Florida researcher Dr. Shinsuke Agehara in a field of Florida-grown hops.

That news excites researchers who presented the latest data at the June 2 Hops Field Day at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, where scientists are trying to grow several hops varieties.

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The flavor, aroma, yield and more are all critical pieces of the puzzle as UF/IFAS researchers try to meet the growing needs of the craft-beer market. They’re mostly interested in quenching the thirsts of craft-beer brewers and consumers in the Tampa Bay area, with an eventual eye on the rest of the state.

Several years ago, at the request of Tampa Bay-area microbrewers, UF/IFAS scientists started to test whether hops would grow in the Sunshine State. At that time, the state had about 30 microbreweries. Now, there are about 380.

About 73% of the nation’s hops crop, including Cascade, grows in Washington state.

Hops harvested from Crazy Dingo Brewing Co. and Southern Fresh Farms in south Fort Myers.
Hops harvested from Crazy Dingo Brewing Co. and Southern Fresh Farms in south Fort Myers.

Hops grow so well in the Pacific Northwest because days can run nearly 16 hours long — ideal for hops growth. Because of its latitude, the longest Florida days are about 14 hours. Without enough daylight hours, the hops yield a fraction of what they should.

So, researchers had to adjust.

They installed LED lights to trick the hops into thinking the Florida days are longer.

Zhanao Deng, a UF/IFAS professor of environmental horticulture, said scientists are seeing their best results from Cascade hops.

Hops growing at Southern Fresh Farms in south Fort Myers
Hops growing at Southern Fresh Farms in south Fort Myers

Based on four years of trials, researchers have seen Cascade yield an average of 3,446 pounds per acre per year. Three other hop cultivars, Comet, Nugget and Zeus, can produce about 1,500 to 1,900 pounds of fresh cones per acre in Florida.

“Although the latter three cultivars produce less, their cones (the part of the plants that impart flavor and aroma to beer) tend to contain more alpha acids and essential oil, making their cones more aromatic," Deng said.

Deng is also planning to breed hops. He hopes to develop hops with stronger aromas than regular Cascade.

The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources, and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. More at ifas.ufl.edu. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Craft beer: Florida is growing its own hops, and they taste like candy