Are there known areas in Virginia where wild hops grow?
When I lived in Colorado Springs, CO, wild hops grew in the foot-hills area (Manitou Springs). Toward the hops harvesting season, all the local home and micro-brewers had their favorite places to collect wild hops.
Since many so-called “wild hops” are really remants from when each town had its own brewery, are there any places in Central VA (or anywhere in VA) that hops grow wild? (Maybe even some of Tommy J’s from back in the day!)
Kirk
I’m afraid that I don’t know anything about VA, but I live in the Springs, and had no idea that wild hops grew out here. Where in Manitou can I find them? Without trespassing, of course! 
If you know where the old rail-road tracks are along the side of Hwy 24 as you drive out of C-Springs/Manitou toward Woodland Park are, the vines are all along the there.
So, as you come back down/east of 24 there are several pullouts. One of the pullouts is by a creek. If you cross the creek, there an small open spot leading up a hill to the old rail-road path (now a hiking path). GPS Coords: 38.8743,-104.930377 (according to Google.)
This is only one spot, and I found it by accident with my running club. I know there are more. If you ask the folks at some of the local breweries and homebrew supply stores, they may know more. (Rocky Mountain, Bristols, Trinity, etc)
Happy Hunting!
Kirk
Interesting. I’ve never thought of hunting for wild hops, even though I live in an area which used to be a big hop producer. I’d assumed that the fungus got them all.
Generally, how good are wild hops in terms of flavor/aroma profile and AA?
Don’t know about central VA, but I grew up in SW Virginia and would probably begin with Floyd. It’s a place with a long tradition of fermented beverages… of all kinds. I’m sure that somebody planted a few hop rhizomes back in the day.
But it also sounds like the sort of territory where if you go snooping around you’re likely to get shot at.