It’s the most wonderful time of the year for beer lovers: fresh hop season! Fresh hop beers are made from hops processed no more than 24 hours after being harvested, resulting in brews with a milder, more botanical profile and less bitterness. And Pacific Northwest craft beer drinkers are particularly blessed: Because of the bounty and proximity of the hops in Yakima Valley and Willamette Valley, it’s hard to beat the range of fresh hop beers available in our region. Since these beers are only here for an extremely limited time, we’ve rounded up a list of beers to try so you can make the most of the all-too-fleeting season. For more inspiration, check out our guide to celebrating Oktoberfest in Portland and our food and drink guide.
Note: Availability may vary due to the ephemeral nature of fresh hops; we recommend calling ahead or checking online before visiting.
Baerlic Brewing Co.
The “stubbornly independent” brewery Baerlic has teamed up with New Seasons Market to create “Stay Fresh,” a California-style fresh hop IPA brewed with Oregon-grown Amarillo and Mosaic pellet hops and fresh Simcoe hops from Coleman Farms. They’ve also got a few other “freshies” available for preorder, including Punk Rock Time Fresh Hop IPA (a version of their Punk Rock Time IPA with fresh Chinook hops), Pioneer Fresh Hop ESB (an award-winning British-style pale ale, cold-conditioned on fresh Mount Hood hops), and Fresh Hop, Man Double IPA (a version of their Hop Man IPA brewed with Strata and Chinook hops and cold-conditioned on fresh Oregon-grown Citra hops).
Hosford-Abernethy, Rose City Park
Pickup, delivery, dine-in
