Humulus lupulus - HopsHops were cultivated at Monticello for brewing, and Jefferson also purchased Hops in fairly large quantities from others. Jefferson's memorandum books record a handful of purchases by both Jefferson and his wife in the early 1770s, mostly from local enslaved people. These hops were most likely used for brewing batches of "small beer."
Jefferson also mentions hops in Notes on the State of Virginia, in Query VI, in a list of native esculent plants: "Wild hop - humulus lupulus."[1] Regarding his own culture of the plant, Jefferson first lists hops in his "Objects for the garden" in 1794.[2]
Beer brewing on a large scale began at Monticello in 1812 and Jefferson listed hops in that same year in his garden calendar.[3] They also appear on his garden "agenda" for 1813.[4] Despite growing hops, Jefferson continued to record purchases of hops from various other sources until 1820.
- Anna Berkes, 5/17/2010
1771 March 2. "Pd. Colo. Lewis’s Ned for 2 ℔ hops 2/."[5]
1772 November 15. "Pd. C. L. Lewis’s man for 3. bushels hops 3/."[6]
1773 January 12. "Pd. Hickman’s Bob for 8. ℔ hops 6/."[7]
1776 January 14. "Pd. Lewis’s Davy for hops 3/."[8]
1798 June 8. "Pd. for hops .53."[9]
1800 November 22. "Pd. Tom for hops &c. 4.15."[10]
1812 April 15. "Pd. Daniel Farley for hops 1.33."[11]
1813 October 3. "Hhd. exp. 1.—hops & hhd. exp. 9.D."[12]
1813 October 11. "Pd. for hops 2.75."[13]
1814 September 29. "Paid for 10. ℔ hops 3.50 @ 2/ (which is 1/ over)."[14]
1814 October 1. "[P]d. for 27. ℔ hops 9.D."[14]
1814 October 2. "Pd. for hops 3.5."[14]
1815 February 27. "Hops 1.D."[17]
1816 October 10. "Pd. for hops 10.D."[18]
1816 December 3. "Pd. for candles & hops 1.62½."[19]
1816 December 15. "Gave Hardy order on Jas. Leitch for 5.D. balance of 35¾ ℔ hops ante Oct. 10."[19]
1817 May 16. "Pd. Isaacs for hops 4.D."[21]
1817 May 27. "Pd. David Isaacs .17 balance for hops ante May 16."[22]
1817 September 26. "Gave Hardin ord. on Jas. Leitch for 11.D. for 33 ℔ hops."[23]
1818 October 28. "Pd. Bagwell for hops 20.50 Mrs. Randolph had pd. him 2. of the 10. ante."[24]
1819 October 24. "Gave Gentry’s Billy ord. on Jas. Leitch for 15.33 for 46. ℔ hops."[25]
1820 October 29. "Pd. for 15 ℔ hops 5.D.—hhd. exp. .75."[26]
1820 November 7. "Do. for Bagwell hops 7.D."[27]
