And they are off. The Cascade had made a run for it. Five or six good sized shoots have made their first appearance. It may be a little too early in the season to start but Cascade is supposed to be one of the most vigorous of the hops. It would be great if they started early and produced a good number of flowers. A homegrown Cascade hopped beer would go down a treat. Despite being the quintessential Amercian hop if it grows well and outstrips the other varieties it could play a role in the quintessential Australian beer. Australians of course take the best of the world to produce something uniquely Australian.

The two new varieties of hops also went into the ground over the weekend. A good sized fuggles and a massive new variety. Unlike the other hops these two went straight into the ground as there weren't enough pots of a decent size to house them. The new variety, Flinders, could very well be the quinessential Australian hop for the quintessential Australian beer. It has a beautiful subtle fruity flavour and wonderful aroma that is not as overpowering as US hops.

A bigger backyard is required now to add any new varieties like pride of ringwood. Maybe it won't be too far off.