Fresh hop beers! Get ’em here, Seattle, while they’re fresh

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Where to get your fresh-hop fix around Seattle right now

Updated October 12th with new info.

It is a splendid time of year for craft beer aficionados. Brewers are serving up beers made with freshly picked hops. Not that there’s anything wrong with normal hops that have been processed for future use, but there is something visceral and romantic about fresh hop beers. There is a lot of symbolism at work, as well as a lot of herbal, earthy, floral flavor. These garden-fresh elixirs are a celebration in themselves. (Jump to our list of recommendations.)

Need a refresher on the freshness? Read our story about what makes a beer a fresh hop beer and why some people choose to call them wet hop beers. If you do not need a refresher and just want to know where to get a lovely selection of freshies, here you go. We have some suggestions for you. Feel free to use the comments section to share what you know.

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Our Seattle Area Fresh Hop Recommendations

Updates – October 12th:

Old Stove Brewing releases all five of its fresh hop beers on Saturday, October 14th at its newest location, Old Stove Gardens in Ballard (1550 Northwest 49th Street, Seattle, WA 98107).

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• Cashmere Session IPA
• Talus West Coast IPA
• Mosaic North West  IPA
• HBC 586 Cold IPA
• Citra Hazy IPA

Yakima Fresh Hop Ale Festival Winners – Last Saturday’s event in Yakima is, dare I say, the premier fresh hop festival in the world. It’s also a judged competition. Here are the breweries that won the top awards at last weekend’s judging:

• Pale Ale: The Outskirts Brewing Co
• IPA: Burke-Gilman Brewing Co
• Imperial: Wander Brewing
• Best of Show: Icicle Brewing Co

Original Info: Below, when I say “currently” or something like that, I’m talking about Friday, October 6th.

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Growler Guys on Lake City Way – They get crazy this time of year. I don’t think any other bar can match the enthusiasm. You’ll probably find 25 different fresh hop beers on tap at any given moment, with new beers rotating in constantly. They call it a Freshtival.

Beer Junction in West Seattle – They’ve dedicated 17 taps to fresh hop beers for their annual Fresh Hop Festival. They say it runs through Sunday, but it really lasts until the beers are gone. Also, this is a great place to find a large selection of fresh hop beers in cans.

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Chuck’s Hop Shop in Greenwood, Central District, Seward Park – Each of the three Chuck’s locations around town has plenty of freshies for you. On tap and in cans, too. Example: Chuck’s Seward Park currently has 16 fresh hop brews on tap.

Beveridge Place Pub in West Seattle – The pub’s official fresh hop event was last week, but there are still plenty on the list. More than a half dozen currently. Probably more will rotate in.

Brouwers Cafe in Fremont – Whatever kind of beer you seek, you’ll always find it at Brouwer’s. Fresh hop beers are no exception. I just checked and the taplist currently features seven of them. More will rotate in, I’m sure.

The Pine Box in Capitol Hill – On the lower part of the hill is where you’ll find this exceedingly cool beer bar and eatery, which always has an impressive draft beer lineup for you. Currently, nine freshies are in the mix.

Watershed Pub and Kitchen in Northgate – Located in the Thornton Place complex. Killer pizzas, killer salad, and a killer draft list. Currently, seven fresh hop beers are on tap.

Beer Star in White Center – There are a lot of local beer geeks who are still unfamiliar with this gem of a beer bar and bottleshop. Currently, they have seven fresh ones on tap for you. Also, note that this place is just a couple blocks from Future Primitive Brewing. Two birds, one stone.

Full Throttle Bottles in Georgetown – Always a good place to find great beer on tap and to go. No exception, currently they have 8 taps and 9 shelves of fresh hop beer waiting for you.

Brewery Suggestions – Visit any local brewery and you’re likely to find at least one fresh hop beer on tap. Some suggestions: Reuben’s Brews, Georgetown Brewing, Cloudburst Brewing, and Fremont Brewing. All of those breweries have been known to produce multiple fresh hop beers and they do it with great skill. But, like I said, pretty much any local brewery should be able to hook you up.

Not exactly Seattle but… 5 Rights Brewing in Marysville has its Freshies and Friends event happening now and through the weekend. This one includes some fresh hop beers from nearby breweries and also some distant breweries — breweries you don’t normally see around here.

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