Family-owned farm in Goodrich wins the Chinook Cup for best hops in Michigan

What’s happening: A 20-acre hop farm in Michigan’s Genesee County took home the Michigan Chinook Cup at the 2024 Great Beer State & Trade Show in Kalamazoo earlier this month. Nearly 500 attendees and more than 50 industry speakers gathered for the annual conference, which celebrates and connects Michigan’s craft beer community, a crowd that included farmers, brewers, salespeople, and more. The conference is presented by the Michigan Brewers Guild, Master Brewers Association of the Americas – District Michigan, and Michigan State University Extension.

And the winner is: Top Hop Farms of Goodrich took home the 7th Annual Michigan Chinook Cup after emerging from a field of six competitors; a series of blind sensory tests convinced a panel of experienced craft brewers to select the hopyard for the award. Top Hop Farms is owned and operated by the father-and-son team of Mark and Sean Trowbridge, who were on hand to accept the award.

What it is: The Michigan Chinook Cup is awarded to Michigan’s best Chinook hop grower each year, with a panel of experts rating contestants on aroma, appearance/color, and brewing values through a series of blind sensory tests. Top Hop Farms will have their farm name engraved on the Chinook Cup trophy and receive a Keepsake Cup to display at home.

Why it is: Chinook hops are among the most popular hop varieties in the nation, and Chinook hops grown in Michigan are distinct from other popular Chinook hop-growing regions like the Pacific Northwest; Michigan’s Chinook hops are known for their citrusy, clean profile. With nearly 500 acres in hop production, Michigan is ranked as the top hop producer in the Great Lakes Region and fourth in the nation, with the top three states each located in the Pacific Northwest.

[Related: Read "Michigan hop farmers are upbeat about their future" on Rural Innovation Exchange.]

Who else won: The Michigan Chinook Cup wasn’t the only trophy earned at this year’s conference. Mike “BrewGyver” O’Brien, whose decades-long career in brewing started as a 17-year-old building his own draught system, was awarded the Tom Burns Award for embodying the pioneering spirit of the Michigan brewing industry. And Isaac Hartman of New Holland Brewing Company was awarded the Michigan Beer Champion Award, which is given to an individual, organization, or business that promotes and protects Michigan’s craft beer industry.

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