It's All About the HOPS!!!

It is that time of year again - hop harvest. The Northwest is at the forefront of craft beers. One of the new brewing techniques that has caught on in recent years is brewing beers with hops fresh from the field. Usually, hops are harvested in the fall and then dried for storage, often in pellet form. The storage process removes much of the flavor of the hops, but is necessary in order to brew beer year round.





However, fresh hops beers are brewed with hops picked from the field within hours. Bags and bags of the fresh picked hops are dumped into the brew. That is the beauty of living in the Northwest, where close to 90% of the hops are grown for the US market. Every brewery in town (30+ and counting in Portland alone!!!) crafts their own "fresh hops" beer or two.

The first one popped up in town last week, and each brewery will be rolling theirs out over the next month. The fresh hops add amazing floral taste and aroma to the beer, while removing much of the bitterness. Each brewery uses a different style, so they are each unique. The season culminates in a "Fresh Hops Festival" where all the different breweries gather to pour their fresh hop products. This year it is October 18th at Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB). It is not too late to book a flight!!