Fall Means Fresh Hop Season in Hop Country
We’re counting down to the happiest and hoppiest time of year in Hop Country. With harvest about to begin, fresh hop season is just around the corner and we all know what that means – It’s finally time for fresh hop ales to flow!
The hop bines have been twining and climbing in fields all summer long around the Yakima Valley, one of the largest hop producing regions in the world. As harvest begins, the air fills with the aromas of hops and excitement is everywhere. Brewers from around the world head to the valley to hand-select the hops they’ll use to craft their beers. Best of all, as soon as the first hops are harvested, newly crafted fresh hop ales begin to flow with abundance at 20 stops along the valley’s Hop Country Craft Beer Trail.
So, what’s a craft beer lover to do during fresh hop season? Take a trip to Hop Country! First, if you haven’t taken a drive through the lush hop fields, do it soon because harvest is a quick, crazy process to get the hops harvested at the perfect time. Best of all, mark your calendar for all the Hop Country fall festivities.
Fresh Hop Ales at the Source
You don’t have to wait for Fresh Hop Ale Festival for local fresh hop ales! Taprooms on the Hop Country Craft Beer Trail will be eagerly tapping kegs of fresh hop ales crafted from hops harvested just minutes away. Many of these brews you can only taste at the tap! Breweries will announce taproom fresh hop ale releases and celebratory fresh hop parties throughout harvest season, complete with live music, great food and other special activities. Watch our Fresh Hop Season events page and our full calendar of hop and craft beer events for all the Hop Country happenings while you wait for the main event, the Fresh Hop Ale Festival!
Take a Ride Through Hop Country
Take a ride with the Little Hopper – Yakima’s craft beer bus! Sign up for their Fresh Hop Beer Tours each Saturday in September. Savor the best fresh hop beer experience in the U.S. Yakima breweries have the widest variety of fresh hops at their fingertips and they go wild in September crafting fresh hop ales. Reserve your spot to hop on and discover the rich hop flavors and aromas of the hop harvest season. (They also offer winery and vineyard tours!)
One-of-a Kind Hop Farm Harvest and Brewery Experience
This year, you also have two chances to take one of the Little Hopper’s Exclusive Hop Harvest Experience Tours, September 7 and 21. Visit family hop farms, tour a hop processing and production facility, and walk among the hop bines. Through hop sensory activities, you’ll learn about different hop varieties and understand hops’ role in brewing great craft beers. Just like brewers from around the world, you’ll rub hops in the hop selection room and taste beers produced from the farms’ hops. See the hops being harvested and take a tour through the hop facility as the hops progress from field to baling before heading to the breweries. From there, head to award-winning Single Hill Brewing Company and see how the freshly harvested hops become the next great beer!
“the aromas are incredible and the activity is non-stop”
Wendy King of Little Hopper
Cycle Yakima is a new addition to the valley, offering a range of rides from mountains to roadways. Their e-bike tours combine nostalgic fun with modern adventure whether you’re a regular rider or you’re rediscovering the joy of cycling. Guide Kyle Bisconer will work with you to choose the perfect route for a scenic ride that blends outdoor adventure with local history and craft beer for a unique experience. Popular rides on Saturdays take you through the unique shrub-steppe landscape of the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy with a choice of stops including Cowiche Creek Brewing Company. There, you’ll find picturesque views, great craft beer and some of the best burgers around (as well as other specialties from the kitchen).
Hop Country Music Festival featuring Justin Moor
The much-anticipated, two-day Hop Country Music Festival, September 12 and 13, is a must-see event filled with music, beer, food wine and fun. Powerhouse performers lead the lineup for a fantastic celebration in the heart of Hop Country. Justin Moor takes the stage as Saturday’s headliner. Ned Ledoux, Austin Miller and Cody Beebe & The Crooks also take the stage Saturday. A standout lineup fills the rest of the weekend in Hop Country style. This is a 21+ event.
Fresh Hop Ale Festival
After every single hop gets harvested and processed over the span of 30 crazy days in September, the season culminates with the Yakima Valley’s signature Fresh Hop Ale Festival, one of the “Top 10 Beer Festivals in The Nation!” On Saturday, October 4, breweries from around the west and beyond head to Yakima to compete for top honors with fresh hop ales crafted specifically for the festival using only freshly harvested hops. More than 7,000 beer lovers come for a one-of-a kind craft beer festival just made for them! Also enjoy wine, ciders, local flavors from food trucks and vendors, live music and fun activities. Best of all, this is a vehicle for community enrichment and positive social change, with proceeds donated to Yakima Country arts and sciences organizations. This is a 21+ event.
Fresh Hop Festivities All Week Long!
You don’t have to wait for the festival to enjoy fresh hop experiences! In the week leading up to the festival, enjoy all sorts of hop country experiences. In addition to release parties, watch our calendar for other special, behind-the-scenes experiences. Take a trip for hop harvest fun and the Bale Breaker Brewing’s Post Harvest Party the weekend before Fresh Hop Ale Festival. Make time to visit the American Hop Museum to learn about the history of the American hop industry, from its early days in the colonies to the Pacific Northwest and, especially, the Yakima Valley where than 70 percent of U.S. hops are grown.
Categorized in: Hops and Beer