TRAVERSE CITY, MICH — MI LOCAL HOPS has successfully completed their first hop harvest. Working with EMPIRE HOPS , MI Local harvested over 250 acres of Northern Michigan grown hops starting on August 23 and ending on September 15, 2016. The varieties harvested this season were Centennial, Cascade, Michigan Copper, Chinook, Crystal, Nugget, Willamette, and Brewer’s Gold. MI Local Hops is a 200 acre hop farm with full processing, pelletizing, packaging, and cold storage capabilities in Williamsburg, MI, six miles outside of Traverse City, MI. Administrative offices are located in downtown Traverse City, MI.
Video of the harvest and of the 30,000 square foot harvesting facility in full operation are featured on the homepage of the company’s new website. “We wanted to launch the site after we shot video footage of the harvest facility in operation” says Mike Moran, Sales and Marketing Manager. “The goal is to showcase the fact that we’ve made the investments in the infrastructure and quality standards that are being demanded by the craft brewing industry”. The website will feature information on available hop varieties, quality standards, and the craft beers that feature MI Local Hops.
The first breweries to feature MI Local Hops in this seasons wet hopped ales are Founders Brewing Company (Harvest Ale with Cascade hops), Short’s Brewing Company (Kind Ale with Chinook and Cascade hops), Stormcloud Brewing Company (24:30 with Centennial, Cascade, and Chinook hops), and Beards Brewery (Triumphance with Cascade hops). All beers will be on tap and available to the public on Wednesday October 12th at 7 Monks Taproom in downtown Traverse City, Michigan.
MI Local Hops farm is the largest hop operation east of the Rockies. Through a joint venture partnership with Empire Hops, which specializes in custom farming and custom trellis installation, the two businesses managed almost 350 acres and harvested over 250 acres of Northern Michigan grown hops in 2016.
