The Hop Growers of Michigan presented the 8th Annual Michigan Chinook Cup last week at the 2025 Michigan’s Great Beer State Conference & Trade Show at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo. Michigan’s Great Beer State Conference & Trade Show hosted nearly 400 attendees, including more than 60 industry speakers.
Alec Mull, General Manager at Bell’s Brewery and past president of the Hop Quality Group (HQG) presented the 1st Place award to Ken Porter and Jim Mikesell of Dog Star Hops. This Charlotte based hop farm also won the coveted Chinook Cup in 2022 and 2023. Second place was awarded to Mr. Wizard Hops in Monroe with third place honors going to Bell’s Brewery in Comstock.
For the list of past winners since the competition was launched in 2017, visit the Chinook Cup Archives.
“On behalf of MSUE, I’m really pleased to have helped organize the Chinook Cup this year,” notes Rob Sirrine, MSUE Senior Educator. “The quality was outstanding and showcased the spectacular aroma attributes of Michigan Chinook. It really demonstrates the efforts that Michigan hop growers have made to produce world class hops. Congrats to Dog Star Hops, Mr. Wizards Hops, and Bell’s!”
Michigan Chinook Cup
Modeled after the HQG’s national Cascade Cup, the Michigan Chinook Cup is awarded to the Great Beer State’s best Chinook hop grower as determined by a panel of expert craft brewers through a series of blind sensory tests. This year, nine Chinook entries were ranked with scoring provided for aroma, appearance/color and brewing values.
Although there are over 100 different varieties of hops used by craft brewers across the U.S., three of the top publicly available hop varieties have consistently been Cascade, Centennial and Chinook. The Chinook hop, released in 1985, is the result of a cross between Petham Golding and a USDA male plant.
Chinook are a “dual purpose” hop used for both bittering and aroma. In their quest to brew “standout” flavorful beers, many craft brewers have become increasingly interested in newer proprietary varieties such as Simcoe and Citra. However, a small but growing number of brewers have begun to recognize that hops of the same variety, when grown in different locations with distinct soils and climate, impart different flavor profiles.
In contrast to Chinook grown in the Pacific northwest that is generally known for its piney, spicy, dank attributes, Michigan Chinook is a cultivar that is increasingly recognized for its citrusy, clean profile. Visit Michigan State University Extension’s hop webpage for more information on Michigan’s growing hop industry.
Michigan is currently ranked first in the Great Lakes Region and fourth in the nation (behind three states in the Pacific Northwest). More than 40 different hop cultivars are grown in Michigan, with Chinook being among the most prevalent and popular. Hops are part of Michigan’s overall $104 billion agricultural industry, supporting a strong craft beer culture.
Hop Growers of Michigan (HGM) was formed in 2015 as a 501(c)5 non-profit organization. HGM makes a positive difference in Michigan’s hop industry by supporting educational opportunities and research for better hop production and processing, as well as advocating for and promoting the use of Michigan-grown hops. HGM also facilities best practice exchanges, sharing of techniques and knowledge; enlists the support of Michigan higher education institutions for research and development of hop horticulture and processing; promotes and markets the utilization of Michigan hops; and partners with other organizations to advance the interest of Michigan hop growers and craft brewing.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.