Every fall, craft brewers from across the world flock to the fields and farms for fresh hops. Hopheads rejoice during this magical time of year when fresh-hops and wet-hops beers abound. The sooner you can enjoy these beers, the better. Any hoppy beer, and especially a wet-hopped beer, will lose its hops aromatics and flavors over time, so now is a better time than ever to toast to the harvest. Here are 10 fresh-hopped beers that you have to try this season.
Fremont Brewing Cowiche Canyon Fresh Hop Ale
Washington’s Fremont Brewing’s Cowiche Canyon ale is brewed with wet hops, for hops. Proceeds from this annual release support the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy in an effort to expand the state’s organic hops industry. The hops in Cowiche Canyon Fresh Hop Ale are harvested in the Yakima Valley just 24 hours before the brew.
Victory Brewing Company Harvest Ale
Another must-try wet-hops beer brewed with Yakima Valley hops is Victory’s Harvest Ale. Six tons of whole-flower fresh hops are added to this juicy, citrus-forward ale.
Left Hand Brewing Company Warrior IPA
Whole-flower Cascade hops grown on Colorado’s Western Slope are flown to Left Hand Brewing Company in Longmont within hours of harvest before they’re added to the brewery’s annual wet-hops beer, Warrior IPA.
Beer Valley Brewing Black Flag Imperial Stout (Hop Harvest Edition)
It’s rare to find a fresh-hopped Imperial Stout, especially one that weighs in at 11 percent ABV. This Oregon-brewed beer was first brewed in 2008 with Zeus hops from Idaho, and each year it is fresh hopped with a different hops variety.
Lucid Brewing Foto #Fresh IPA
This wet-hops IPA is brewed with hops grown on Gerhard Farm in Pine City, Minnesota, that are harvested the day of the brew. Find Foto #Fresh only in Minnesota.
Fort George Brewery Fresh IPA
There are more Mosaic hops in Fort George Brewing’s brand new wet-hops release in cans. This dank, wet-hopped IPA debuted earlier this month, and it won’t last long.
Surly Brewing Wet
Another Minnesota-brewed wet-hops beer you can’t miss this season is Surly Brewing’s Wet. Surly is known for its bold beers, and Wet is no exception. Each year the brewery chooses a different hops variety for this seasonal; In 2015 it was brewed with 100 percent Simcoe hops from the Pacific Northwest.
Sixpoint Brewing SENSI Harvest
The brewers at New York’s Sixpoint Brewing take a trip to Yakima Valley, what they consider the motherland, to create their annual fresh-hops beer. This year’s canned SENSI was brewed with Amarillo and Cascade hops.
Founders Brewing Company Harvest Ale
Founders’ Harvest Ale is a bit lighter than your average autumn ale. It pours straw colored, and it tastes citrus-forward with toasted malt undertones.
Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest
Sierra Nevada’s newer Harvest Series includes the Southern Hemisphere Harvest, an IPA brewed with floral, herbal New Zealand-grown Southern Cross, Pacifica, and Motueka hops that were picked, dried, and shipped within seven days of the brew (which is, admittedly, pushing the limits of the definition of “fresh hops”). Sierra Nevada also brews one of the few hoppy winter beers on the market, the popular Celebration Fresh Hop IPA, which uses Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops.