Hops

In the 1860s, Wisconsin was one of the largest hop producers in the US. Afterward, cultivation declined sharply and shifted west. Today hops grow again in the state, but on a small scale: University of Wisconsin estimates put the figure at around 400 acres, roughly 160 hectares.

By comparison: across the entire US in 2025, BarthHaas reported 17,057 hectares of hops, grown mainly in the Northwest, for instance in the Yakima Valley. These hops account for roughly 40 percent of the world's alpha acid supply. Alpha acid is the compound in hops that gives beer its bitterness. Milwaukee's major breweries therefore never needed to rely on hops from their own state.

What matters with hops for a lager? Bitterness and aroma are two different things. Hops boiled early in the brew release bitterness; added late, they leave more fragrance behind. American lagers in this tradition stay restrained on both counts. The American Lager style sits at 8 to 18 IBU, while German Pils runs 22 to 40.

IBU stands for a beer's measured bitterness, expressed as a number. Anyone comparing a Milwaukee lager to a Franconian Pils will taste the difference immediately: the hops recede, while the grain and freshness of the beer come forward.

The Cascade hop variety, released in the US in 1972, marks a different chapter in the story. Its citrus aroma defined the craft wave and the beers that Sprecher and Lakefront have added to the lineup since the 1980s. The classic lagers of the old brands remained untouched by all this.