What does September mean in the Pacific Northwest? Football season. Rainy season. Back to school season. But for beer lovers, it really means one thing – it’s Fresh Hop season! There’s a bevy of events and releases happening all over the region. Too many to track, so if we miss any here please ping us via email, drop a web comment, or leave a comment on Facebook. We will update this post throughout the Fresh Hop season, so come back here for the latest.
Fresh Hop beer releases –
Available as of today (subject to change quickly), at these brewery taprooms:
- Reuben’s Brews (blog sponsor) – Fresh Hop Crikey
- Fremont Brewing (blog sponsor) – Field to Ferment Fresh Hop with Centennial and Simcoe (on draft and in cans)
- Stoup Brewing – Centennial Fresh Hop on now (plus 5+ more! Simcoe Fresh Hop coming 9/24, Triumph Fresh Hop 9/26, Citra Fresh Hop 9/27, Fresh Hop collab with Varietal Brewing using Eldorado Hops 9/30)
- Lazy Boy Brewing – Citra Fresh Hop collab with Pueblo Vida Brewing of Tucson
- Two Beers Brewing (blog sponsor) – always the first out of the gate, get their Centennial Fresh Hop if you still can
- Varietal Brewing – Cascade / Eldorado Fresh Hop (plus more coming soon)
- 5 Rights Brewing – Our Embrace the Resin Centennial Fresh Hop Double IPA
- Hellbent Brewing – Strata Fresh Hop on today (plus Amarillo Fresh Hop on draft and cans 9/21 – see event below; and Citra Fresh Hop on 9/25)
- Cloudburst Brewing – Green Means Go wet Centennial Fresh Hop from CLS Farms – on draft as of 9/12
- Wander Brewing – 400 Cents Fresh Hop – with Centennial from CLS Farms – on draft as of 9/12
- Spada Farmhouse Brewing – Fresh Hop brewed with their own homegrown Centennial hops – on draft as of 9/12
- Dru Bru – Centennial Fresh Hop IPA, available as of 9/16
- Icicle Brewing (blog sponsor) – One in Eight Fresh Hop beer – a collaboration with Payette Brewing using Eldorado hops. The name highlights how many women get breast cancer – including Icicle Brewing owner/founder Pam and CLS Hops owner Shelly. Just brewed per their Facebook
- 7 Seas Brewing (blog sponsor) – Fresh Hop release next week per their Facebook
- Pike Brewing (blog sponsor) – four Fresh Hop beers coming next week per their Facebook
- Tenpin Brewing (blog sponsor) – Fresh Hop beer brewed 9/5 per their Facebook
- Ghostfish Brewing (blog sponsor) – Fresh Hop beer brewing today with Chelan Valley Hops, coming in October per their Facebook
- Maritime Pacific Brewing (blog sponsor) – Amarillo Fresh Hop XPA brewed 9/3 per their Facebook
- Georgetown Brewing (blog sponsor) – Simcoe Fresh Hop brewed 9/5 per their Facebook
- Dick’s Brewing (blog sponsor) – Fresh Hop beer brewed 9/6 per their Facebook
- Bale Breaker – Piled High Fresh Hop IPA brewed 9/4
- Bale Breaker and Cloudburst – Citra Slicker Fresh Hop collab brewed 9/11 (coming on draft and in cans)
- Bale Breaker and Sierra Nevada – Fresh Hop collab brewed 9/7
- Bellevue Brewing Company – Centennial Fresh Hop (in cans too)
- Everybody’s Brewing – Fresh Hop with hops from Loza Farms – brewed 9/12
- Farmstrong Brewing – Fresh Out of Ideas IPA on 10/3
- Sumerian Brewing (blog sponsor) – Holy Water Mosaic Fresh Hop – Sumerian is tapping the first keg of our Mosaic Fresh Hop IPA on Friday, Sept. 27th @ NOON. Get in here and try this AMAZING BEER one week before it’s released in the marketplace.
More coming soon (per various Facebook announcements) at Best of Hands Brewing, Elliott Bay Brewing, Diamond Knot Brewing (Amarillo), Bron Yr Aur Brewing, Grains of Wrath Brewing, Wandering Hop Brewing, MORE. (Have a fresh hop beer on tap or in the works? Drop us a comment!)
Fresh Hop Beer Events
Friday, September 13th, 5 to 11 p.m.
Fresh Hop Friday at the Parkway Tavern
The Parkway invites you to taste this week’s selections as we celebrate this year’s crop. 1313 N I St, Tacoma.
The FreshTival kickoff at The Growler Guys
Thursday and Friday, September 19th & 20th, 2 to 11 p.m.
Fresh Hoptoberfest at Perry Street Brewing
I’m not sure whether to put this under our Fresh Hop beer round-up or our Oktoberfest beer round up, so we will put it in both posts. The clever folks at Perry Street Brewing in Spokane combined the two reasons to celebrate fall beer into one event. Two days full of mugs, food, and specially-released beer…all things Oktoberfest, beer-hall style. The last 5 years they have SOLD OUT of specialty glassware, so they are pre-selling them again early, starting this Thursday, September 12th. Stop by the taproom and reserve yours. 1025 S Perry St, Spokane. Lots more info on their Facebook event page.
Saturday, September 21st, 12 to 8 p.m.
Hood River Fresh Hop Festival
Not Washington State, but just across the river so you know they will have a lot of Gorge breweries from both states. Over 50 breweries with over 60 fresh hop beers. Food trucks. Live music. All ages until 5 p.m. 5th and Columbia, Hood River. Tickets online here.
Saturday September 21st, 2 to 8 p.m.
Hellbent Brewing – Wing Will Rock You
Fresh Hop, College Football and Wings – Releasing an Oktoberfest Marzen Lager and Amarillo Fresh Hop Hazy IPA (available on draft and in cans) alongside other fresh-hopped creations. Phorale & Burger Planet will be serving up some special wings for this event. It’ll be a great time to get some fresh beer and watch some college football games, including UW’s first away game and WSU vs UCLA, on any of the eight big screen TV’s. Order Ranch and Blue Cheese “Dressing for a Cause” to benefit North Helpline. Ages 21+. At Hellbent Brewing, 13035 Lake City Way NE, Seattle.
Get your pre-sale tickets online at the link below (recommended) or at the door (door tickets limited). Purchasing your ticket online guarantees one portion of wings from each truck and one draft beverage. Link for tickets here.
Thursday, September 26th, 5:00 p.m.
The Beer Junction, Breakside Tasting event, w/ fresh hop focus
Breakside is well known for its fresh hop program. This year they brewed seven different fresh hop beers and we’ll have at least 3 of them on tap!
Saturday, September 28th, 3 p.m.
10th Annual Noble Fir Fresh Hop Throwdown
We don’t have a lot of details on this, but we recommend that if you want to go, get a spot in line early. This sweet little beer spot fills up fast for this event. 5316 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle.
Saturday, September 28th thru Saturday, October 5th
Fresh Hop Fest at The Beer Junction
They will put them on tap throughout September as they become available. During the Fest, expect several taps dedicated to fresh hop beers.
Thursday, October 3rd, 3:00-11:00
Fresh and Wet Hop Fest at The Pine Box
Join us Thursday, October 3rd as we tap a selection of Fresh & Wet Hop Beers from our favorite breweries, all released within the last week. We’ll have beers from Aslan Brewing Company Cloudburst Brewing Fremont Brewing Future Primitive Brewing Georgetown Brewing Holy Mountain Brewing Jellyfish Brewing Company Machine House Brewery Matchless Brewing Old Schoolhouse Brewery Rooftop Brewing Company Stoup Brewing Structures Brewing Urban Family Brewing Company Varietal Beer Company & more
Friday, October 4th and Fridays all month, 6:00 – close
Fresh Hop Fridays at Farmstrong Brewing
Every Friday in October we will pair two guest fresh hop taps alongside our own, with live acoustic music from regional musicians. Free to the public, all ages.
Friday, October 4th, 7 p.m. to midnight
Yakima Valley Hops Presents: The Fresh Hop Party
This is the precursor to the big Fresh Hop Ale Festival in Yakima. Fresh hop beer from 30 local breweries. Food trucks. Live music and DJ. At Yakima Valley Hops, 702 N 1st Ave, Yakima. 21+. Link for tickets here.
Saturday, October 5th, 5 to 10 p.m.
17th Annual Fresh Hop Ale Festival, Yakima
Not gonna lie, this is our favorite Fresh Hop festival and possibly our favorite beer festival around. You’re so close to the source, that you can smell the hop aroma wafting through town from the nearby kilns and storage facilities.
This year, the festival is in a new larger location at 5 W Yakima Ave, Yakima. Over 70 fresh hop beers plus wine and cider, local food purveyors and rockin live music.
We also just got word that the festival still need volunteers for a variety of positions the day of the festival and for the Sunday clean-up crew. Volunteers get free admission, a t-shirt and more.
21+. Festival ticket information and volunteer sign-up info on their website.
Saturday, October 5th, 12 to 6 p.m.
Beveridge Place Pub – Third Annual Fresh Hop Festival
Our favorite harvest of the year – hops! 40+ fresh (wet) hop beers from the great Northwest! Party in the Beer Garden with Games, DJ ABV spinning funky vinyl and a food truck. 21+. At the Beveridge Place Pub, (blog sponsor), 6413 California Ave SW, Seattle.
Tuesday, October 8th, 7 to 9:30 p.m.
Fresh Hop: From Bine to Beer at Reuben’s Brews
Reuben’s Brews presents a special Tasting Tuesdays session on Fresh Hops! For this quarter’s Tasting Tuesday we welcome Adam Robbings of Reuben’s Brews and Andy Roy of Roy Farms, to give special insight on what goes into the special journey these hops take – from bine to beer!
Co-Founder and Brewmaster of Reuben’s Brews, Adam Robbings (pictured above (right), along with Head Brewer James McDermet), will lead an exploration for the group on how fresh hops impact beer, shedding light on why these ephemeral beers are so sought after. Andy Roy, fifth generation of Roy Farms in Moxee, WA, will explain how fresh hops differ from hops traditionally used in beers, what challenges come and what opportunities arise from producing and using fresh hops.
Through sampling multiple fresh hop beers – including comparing the same beer made with fresh hops and with hop pellets – you will learn from a farmer and a brewer the ins and outs of hop processing and beer brewing, and why fresh is king during harvest.
Details: Tickets go on sale on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019 at 12 p.m. Details here.
TICKET GIVEAWAY – Saturday, October 12th, two sessions: noon to 4 p.m. and 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Seattle Fresh Hop Beer Festival
Fresh hop beer from 20+ local breweries. At the Georgetown Stables (which is a funky cool venue), 980 Nebraska St, Seattle. 21+ event. See our post about this event! We are giving away tickets.
Sunday, October 13th, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
3rd Annual Fresh Hop Flight and Auction at The Brewmasters Taproom
The Brewmasters Taproom in Renton (blog sponsor), is hosting their 3rd annual fresh hop event and auction benefitting All Mutts Great & Small, a Yakima-based non-profit. Fresh hop beer flights, silent auction and raffle. 2000 Benson Rd S, Renton. More info on their Facebook event page.
You are a god!
Thank you for this post. Most awesome!!
And Goddess Kim!
Thanks-is there a subscribable calendar of these events?
Ah that would be a cool idea! We do have our events calendar where breweries can submit their own, but it doesn’t always cross index with the posts we do.
Thanks for this list! In addition to the ‘Wing Will Rock You’ event, Hellbent is releasing fresh hop beers TODAY 9/11/2019 with Strata Fresh Hop IPA, Amarillo Fresh Hop Hazy IPA (in cans and on draft) 9/21/2019, Citra Fresh Hop IPA 9/25/2019, and 1 more (hop & date TBD). Cheers!
Best of Hands will be releasing our first fresh hop on Tuesday 9/17!
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