While autumn usually signals the inevitable onslaught of everything pumpkin-spiced, savvy B.C. craft beer drinkers know that there’s another seasonal beer trend to keep a close eye on. I’m talking about fresh hop beers, of course!
Fresh hop beers are made with hops that come fresh off the bine, making it into the brew kettle or fermenter less than 24 hours after being picked. In BC, hops are typically harvested as early as late August through to early October, and then the race is on to get them to the brewery as soon as possible for maximum freshness.
Typically, hops are kiln-dried and pelletized to improve their shelf life. But fresh hop (or wet-hopped) beers retain more of the hops’ essential oils and volatile aromatics, resulting in a beer that is bursting with character that dried hops simply can’t provide.
Fresh hop beers are often brighter, earthier, more floral and can even feature an almost tingly sensation due to the prevalence of essential oils and acids. Naturally, beer styles that are built around hop character, like IPAs and pale ales, are generally preferred for fresh hop beers.
One thing is for sure, though, these unique beers are definitely different, and they only come around once a year, so get them while you can.
Unsurprisingly, it is best to drink fresh hop beers when they are fresh, as the volatile flavour compounds will degrade with considerable speed. Once a fresh hop beer is more than a month old, it’s lost most if not all of its magic.
Here’s a selection of fresh hop beers from across B.C. that you can find at your local craft beer store this fall:
Farm. Fresh. Hop. IPA by Barnside Brewing (Delta)
Fresh Cascade and Triple Pearl hops – with a couple of buckets of Tahoma thrown in for good measure – set the tone for the 2024 version of Barnside’s 100% farm-hopped beer. With their ’20 minutes from field to kettle’ promise, this beer is as fresh as it gets. It pours with a dark golden haze, presenting prominent stone fruit in the direction of nectarine and white peach, with citrus, grapefruit rind, and champagne-like carbonation, backed by a classic mild bitterness.
Hop Attack Fresh Hop IPA by Steamworks Brewing (Burnaby and Vancouver)
This classic West Coast IPA features assertive hop bitterness and plenty of that characteristic fresh hop tingle. Bright and lively with a sturdy malt backbone to not only support the hops, but leave the beer balanced and approachable as well.
Green Reaper Fresh Hop IPA by Phillips Brewing and Malting Co. (Victoria)
This IPA features a massively fruity and floral nose, with massive gobs of citrus, pine and tropical fruit. Well-balanced with restrained hop bitterness resulting in a dangerously crushable beer.
Fresh Hop Extra Pale Ale by Cannery Brewing (Penticton)
Cannery’s annual fresh hop beer is based on their Muse Extra Pale Ale and this year features fresh Mosaic hops from Loftus Ranches in the Yakima Valley. The result is vibrantly fruity and floral with big hop aroma and flavours and a clean dry finish enticing you back to take another sip.
Maple Bay IPA Fresh Hop IPA by Backcountry Brewing (Squamish)
This lively hazy IPA bursts with stonefruit, citrus and melon aromas. Hazy gold in colour with a meringue-like head, notes of grapefruit, apricot and tropical fruit dominate with a lovely fresh hop tingle that will bring brightness to even the most dismal autumn days.
Sartori Harvest IPA by Driftwood Brewery (Victoria)
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Driftwood’s annual celebration of fresh hops. Centennial hops from the Sartori Cedar Ranch in Chilliwack’s Columbia Valley take centre stage here with luscious floral and earthy notes of pine, grapefruit and grass. An ample malt backbone helps support the moderate hop bitterness.
New Tricks Fresh Hop Hazy IPA by Yellow Dog Brewing (Port Moody)
This hazy little number features intensely fruity hop aromas and flavours, with juicy fruit flavours of citrus, stonefruit and melon. Low hop bitterness and a smooth finish mean you’re gonna go crazy for this fresh hop hazy.
Wolf Vine Wet Hopped Pale Ale by Hoyne Brewing (Victoria)
Earthy notes of citrus, pine, and grass feature heavily in Hoyne’s annual foray into fresh hop beers. Malt notes of cracker and grain help round out this fresh hop pale ale.
