Cascade is a cultivar of hops developed in the
USDA breeding program at
Oregon State University by Dr. Stanley Nelson Brooks and Jack Horner. Developed during the 1960s, it was released as an American aroma variety in 1971. It originated from an open seed collection in 1956, including English Fuggle, Russian Serebrianka, and an unspecified male hop variety. In addition to appealing flavor qualities, researchers were looking for resistance to
downy mildew, a threat to hop yards. Cascade was named after the
Cascade mountain range that runs through the states of
Washington, Oregon, California and the Canadian province of
British Columbia. The hop variety was first used commercially in 1975 by the
Anchor Brewing Company, which established it as a signature hop for
American pale ale. The plant is now grown in various places around the
United States;
British Columbia and
Alberta,
Canada;
Argentina; and in
Tasmania;
Victoria and
New South Wales,
Australia. ==Characteristics==