Fresh Feeling (2022)

As late summer turns to early fall here in the PNW, there's a feeling in the air - a fresh feeling. Each harvest season, brewers from around the region flock to Yakima to source fresh hops. The trip is a right of passage for newish breweries such as ours.

Brewing a fresh-hop beer is hard work. There’s a sense of urgency when timing bine to brew. The brewing process itself often requires non-conventional steps in order to best capture the delicate freshness of the hops. Not to mention the added pressure of doing justice to a farmer’s year+ worth of effort.

Yes, we did spend the night prior to pickup throwing back a few pints at some great breweries, and then capped the evening off by dining at an amazing restaurant. Sure, the bright green cones smelled heavenly on the early morning drive back to Snohomish and in the brewhouse. Okay, you caught us; we had an absolute blast on our first run to Yakima.

Shout out to Loftus Ranches for providing us with some exceptional Simcoe. We used these freshies exclusively on brew day (a few hours after picking them up), and later dry-hopped this hazy IPA with more Simcoe and some Azacca for good measure. Notes: punch, lemon zest, and a hint of pine. Show Less