Fresh hop beer season is one craft enthusiasts champion, and for good reason. These beers utilize just-harvested hops, so aromatic and flavorful they practically glow green. For many brewers, the hop season leads to some of the best bears of the year.
Earlier, we reported on the first leg of the 2024 Fresh Hop Competition, which went down in Bend, Oregon. Now, the late harvest results are in. You may want to make room in your fridge for some of these triumphant hop-forward brews.
Winners of the late harvest leg of the competition spanned the region, pulling from some of the best west coast breweries on the map. Sunriver Brewing Company took home gold in the fresh hop hazy or pale category for its Doug Said So Fresh Hop Talus beer, featuring hops from Westwood Farms. Varietal Beer Company from Washington state won the gold for fresh hop hazy with its Harvest Brain beer, made with the help of hops from Sauvie & Son Farms and Carpenter Ranches.
Beloved Oregon brewery Fort George garnered a gold for the Krush Architect, a fresh hop IPA spotlighting hops from Perrault Farms. Meanwhile Vice Beer of Vancouver, Washington won gold for the Lunch Break Stuff lager, utilizing hops from Coleman Ag. And a California outfit took home gold too. Moonraker Brewing did so with its House of 1000 Cones beer made with Crosby Hops.
The competition was judged by industry experts and celebrates these once-a-year brews, known for their big personalities and bitter finishes. Get out a find some before the hop season comes to a close. And if Sober October is your thing, don’t worry, we’ve got stories on the best NA beers too.
