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Hop Harvest Festival
September 2, 2019 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
What better way to spend Labor Day than with all things hops? Follow the journey of hops, one of New York State’s original cash crops, from field to brewery to pint glass. There will be tastings, food, and music all day, so kick back with one of GCV&M’s signature ales, and enjoy this last hurrah to summer!
Harken back to the days when hop growing was king with this family celebration of hop crops and brewing. While beer was generally flavored and preserved with a mixture of fruit and spices, the bitterness of the hops proved a perfect balance for the sweetness of the malt. By the mid-19th century, growing hops—a perennial that can grow two feet a week—was big business in New York State. It was the state’s main cash crop before the Civil War, and by the end of the century, New York was providing 90% of the nation’s supply.
Help harvest fresh hops and tour the only working 19th-century brewery in the United States. Sample brews created from historic recipes; Fat Ox Ale and Intrepid Ale as well as Flint and Steele Cider at the GCV&M food tent on the Village Square. Stop by our historic kitchens for tastings of hop-inspired snacks, our famous sauerkraut and steak and ale pie. Delight in the simple pleasures of barrel rolling, sack races and a three legged race. Make a hop scented sweet bag to promote relaxation and watch colors turn as we dye with hops! Families welcome; fun for all ages! Members, of course, are free.