Cascade Is Released as a New American Hop Variety

In 1972, the United States Department of Agriculture released Cascade, an aroma hop developed through its breeding program at Oregon State University in Corvallis. The variety originated from an open-pollinated seed collected in 1956 and included English Fuggle and the Russian variety Serebrianka in its ancestry. Cascade combined good yields and resistance to downy mildew with an aroma distinct from the European hops that American brewers had traditionally sought to imitate. Its floral, spicy, and citrus character—especially its association with grapefruit—later became central to the emerging flavor identity of American craft beer. Cascade gained particular historical importance through beers such as Anchor Liberty Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, helping establish assertive American hop aroma as a defining characteristic of modern pale ales and India pale ales.