Fresh hops are brewed during a very brief window of the year when hops are being harvested. It’s the one-time brewers can use hops directly after they’re picked from the vine and before they are processed in any way; normally hops are dried and then pelletized. During fresh hop season, the hop cones go straight from the bine to the beer in a matter of hours. The result is a wonderfully aromatic, fresh-tasting creation. But fresh hop beer isn’t easy being green. The brewhouse fermenter sits empty waiting for the phone call. It’s an eternity if there’s only three fermenters. After the hop farm gives the green thumbs up, a few brewers hit the road while the others begin the brewing process. At the farm, the brewers fill huge bags full of the wonderful smelling fresh hop cones knowing that they need to arrive back at the brewery before the boil. A new round of fresh hop beers has arrived at Peaks & Pints. Therefore, we present another in-house flight of fresh hop beers — this time naming it Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Fresh Hops 9.17.24

Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Fresh Hops 9.17.24

Reuben’s Fresh Hop Nosegrab

5.6% ABV

A collaboration with Louisiana’s Gnarly Barley Brewing, Reuben’s Brews’ Fresh Hop Nosegrab is a fresh hop West Coast pilsner brewed with Citra, fresh Lorien, and fruity, freshly picked Luminosa hops — specifically bright mango and passion fruit notes.

Deschutes Fresh Hop Chasin’ Freshies

6.5% ABV

This year, Deschutes Brewery‘s annual fresh hop IPA is brewed with fresh Centennial hops from Crosby Hop Farm in Woodburn, Oregon. It was during 1900 that first generation hop farmer Albert Crosby planted the first hops into the rich soil outside the town of Woodburn – soil that is still producing a portion of Crosby estate grown hops to this day. The Crosby fresh Centennial hops add big fruit and citrus character to this fresh hop IPA.

Breakside What Fresh Beast HBC 1019

7% ABV

Breakside Brewery’s What Rough Beast is a hazy IPA brewed with Mosaic and Columbus hops for tropical, fruity, and dank notes. The fresh hop version adds fresh HBC-1019 hops from Sodbuster Farms for added pineapple notes.

Breakside Fresh Hop Wanderjack (Citra)

7% ABV

The Breakside Brewery and Barley Brown’s Beer collaboration Wanderjack is brewed with three of the fruitiest hops around, Strata, Mosaic, and Azacca, along with a touch of Simcoe to anchor the beer in classic dank and catty West Coast flavor. The fresh hop version adds fresh Citra hops from Goschie Farms takes the big grapefruit and pine balanced with a medium-bodied clean malt base.

Double Mountain Killer Red Fresh Hop IRA

7.2% ABV

The birth of Double Mountain Killer Red happened after the choice of hops for the Hood River brewery’s Killer Green Fresh Hop IPA were a little late, so the brewers decided to craft a sister brew with fresh Perle hops to fill the thirsty void. It stuck. This year’s annual fresh hop trip to Crosby Farms in the Willamette Valley for Killer Red Fresh Hop changed with Double Mountain speeding back with fresh Centennial instead. The exorbitant amount of fresh whole-leaf hops heaped into the kettle and hop back give this juiced up IRA wonderful ripe apple, juicy forest, and fruited pine flavors and aromas with a hint of caramel.

LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory