Have I mentioned that it’s fresh hop beer season? There are far too many to round up — Structures alone is releasing new freshies weekly — so stop by your favorite brewery and see what’s on the board.
Fresh hops (also known as “wet hops”) are the product of the annual hop harvest in the Pacific Northwest. Harvested in late August or early September, most hops are kiln-dried for preservation, to be used in year-round brewing. But many brewers jump at the chance to add sticky, resinous, whole-cone fresh hops to their beers for a fleeting taste of the fall harvest season.
As much as 75% of the nation’s hops are grown in the Yakima Valley. This tradition of hop farming culminates in the annual Yakima Fresh Hop Ale Festival — a showcase of the region’s hop bounty and local craft beer producers. Held Saturday, Oct. 8, this year’s festival includes a smattering of Whatcom and Skagit breweries, from Stemma to Farmstrong.
But brewers (and consumers) don’t have to travel across the Cascade Mountains to find fresh, local hops. Hops are grown on the west side, too, from the Fraser Valley in British Columbia to Washington’s Skagit Valley.
Atwood Farm Brewery in Blaine is currently brewing a fresh hop saison using 100% local hops. Sourced within 50 miles of the brewery, most of the hops in this beer came from Bredenhof Hop Farms in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Owner/brewer Josh Smith picked up 18 pounds of fresh Mt. Hood hops from Bredenhof, which he combined with estate-grown Tettnang hops. The resulting beer will be a “dry, grassy, herbal and spicy” saison, according to Smith.
Aslan’s Fresh Hop Kolsch presents a subtle pine characteristic, balancing out the beer’s soft body and crisp finish. (Photo courtesy of Aslan Brewing) Dating back decades, there’s a long history of hop production in the Fraser Valley. Hop crops were eventually replaced due to low demand, but have returned in recent years with the craft beer boom. Smith explains that Fraser Valley’s climate is similar to the Hallertau — a hop-growing region in Bavaria, Germany.
“Noble hops grow really well in the Fraser Valley, from what I understand from talking with my grower,” Smith said. “It’s the aroma varieties that are bred to grow in that hotter, drier Yakima Valley climate that don’t necessarily perform as well [here].”
Another brewery utilizing fresh, local hops is Aslan Brewing. Two of Aslan’s three fresh hop beers this year are made with organic varieties from Growing Veterans (GV) in Lynden. Charlie Foxtrot, a fresh hop IPA, uses organic Centennial, Chinook, Columbus and Crystal hops. This is the fifth year Aslan has brewed Charlie Foxtrot with GV hops.
“We are so lucky to be able to use their hops in two of our fresh hop beers,” Aslan Marketing Director Georgi Shillington said. “After harvesting the hops, we drive a short 20 minutes and throw them straight into the kettle — you can’t get any fresher than that!”
A second Aslan brew using fresh, organic Chinook hops from GV is the Fresh Hop Kolsch. Shillington calls it “the most sustainable and local beer we make all year,” with ingredients sourced within 30 miles of the brewery. Fresh hops present a subtle pine characteristic, balancing out the beer’s soft body and crisp finish.
In the Skagit Valley, Hop Skagit has been growing hops since 2017. The farm produces nine varieties, supplying brewers in Skagit and Island counties. A Salmon-Safe certified farm, Hop Skagit focuses on sustainable farming and avoids using chemicals on its crops. (Photo courtesy of Hop Skagit) In the Skagit Valley, Hop Skagit has been growing hops since 2017. The farm produces nine hop varieties, supplying brewers in Skagit and Island counties.
“This year, we’re growing primarily for fresh hop beers and floral markets,” co-owner Amy Moe said.
A Salmon-Safe certified farm, Hop Skagit focuses on sustainable farming and avoids using chemicals on hop crops.
“We do things a lot differently than what conventional hop farms do,” co-owner Byron Betts said. “For example, we let weeds grow up around the hops to provide habitat for natural predators, which really helps with our pest issues.”
“We haven’t had to spray at all this year,” Moe added.
“We do things a lot differently than what conventional hop farms do,” Hop Skagit co-owner Byron Betts said. “For example, we let weeds grow up around the hops to provide habitat for natural predators, which really helps with our pest issues.” (Photo courtesy of Hop Skagit) You can taste these Skagit Valley hops in Penn Cove Brewing’s Cascade/Perle Fresh Hop IPA. Both hop varieties were grown by Hop Skagit and hand-harvested just a few hours before use. The brewery is also releasing a Crystal Fresh Hop IPA using Hop Skagit Crystal hops. Penn Cove operates three locations on Whidbey Island: Oak Harbor, Coupeville and Freeland.
Garden Path Fermentation uses Hop Skagit hops for its annual batch of Wet Hopped Ship. Don’t expect to see this beer available anytime soon, though. The 2021 batch of Wet Hopped Ship was released in July 2022 — after spending a night in a coolship and aging in oak. Watch for the 2022 batch sometime next year.
Beer and spirits news
• To showcase three fresh hop beers (and guest taps from other breweries), Aslan will host a Fresh Hop Fest on Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Depot. Garland will play live music from 4–6 p.m., followed by Black Noise Records DJs from 8–11 p.m.
• Kulshan’s Trackside Beer Garden will close Sunday, Oct. 9 for the season. Stop by for a pint of Strata or Citra Fresh Hop IPA while you still can.
• Banter Hospitality held a soft opening for its third location on Saturday, Oct. 1. Located at 1307 11th St. (in the former Fairhaven Pizza space), Banter’s Fairhaven Brunch spot is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Combining the best of Banter’s existing restaurants (a breakfast cafe and the After Hours bar), this new location serves food alongside fresh-squeezed mimosas.
Brandon Fralic’s Drink Cascadia column runs every other Wednesday. Reach him at drinkcascadia@gmail.com.
