Beyond the walls of the Smithsonian's museums in Washington, DC, grow collections of a different kind: trees, vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs cultivated by Smithsonian Gardens horticulturalists. Also: Cascade, Nugget, Willamette, and Mt. Hood hops. Since 2018, the National Museum of American History and Smithsonian Gardens have united for a unique garden-to-glass collaboration rooted in the hops that grow in the Victory Garden outside the museum. Employees and public volunteers have come together to harvest the hops, distribute them among DC-area brewers, and enjoy the beers brewed with those hops.

Eric Calhoun, supervisory horticulturalist at Smithsonian Gardens, and Theresa McCulla, curator of the American Brewing History Initiative at the National Museum of American History, will talk about the multiple opportunities for collaboration, public programming, and community-building enabled by the cultivation of hops on Smithsonian grounds.

THIS SESSION IS SUPPORTED BY:

ADAM HITCHCOCK + SARAH KAMMERER