Hats off to Rogue Brewery for being creative and thinking that Hop Bines could be turned into paper (yes, that is the correct spelling, and they are just like vines). The flowers, which are used in beer making, are harvested in the summer and the rest of the plant is basically waste material. I received a delivery of bines straight from the farm in Independence, Oregon.
Now, I'll have to admit that stripping the plant material from the bines was a chore, and I'm guessing that is why I'd never heard of paper made from hops. Still, it was possible, and after cooking and beating, the patrons of Rogue Ale House in Portland had a chance to make their own paper coaster while they sipped a new brew last Wednesday night.
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We have an artists' book in our collection at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library (KS) printed on "Gmund Bier paper made of recycled beer labels, pulp and beer fibers (hops, malt and yeast". The book is "a diction" by Heather Weston. You can see it here (scroll down to the bottom of the page): http://www.vampandtramp.com/finepress/w/weston.html
ReplyDeleteWe had it in an exhibit recently and everyone wanted to know if it smelled like beer. Unfortunately, it mostly smells like paper.