Each year, as Fall approaches in the Northwest, it’s hop harvest time.  That can only mean one thing: Fresh Hop IPAs are coming.  Most beers are brewed using kilned or dried hops, usually in the form of compressed hop pellets.  Fresh Hop or Wet Hop beers, on the other hand, utilize fresh, un-kilned hops straight off the vine.  This allows them to retain all of their natural oils (some of which can be lost or reduced during the kilning/drying process), and impart a more Earthy and natural character to the finished beer.

When brewing a Fresh Hop Ale, the hops must be utilized with 24 – 48 hours after picking to ensure freshness.  Any longer and they’ll start to become soggy and begin to develop mildew and rot.  So, when the season arrives, you’ll see plenty of trucks from local breweries making day-trips up to the Yakima Valley to procure their fresh hops for brewing.

Schooner Exact would like to give you the opportunity to join them for their 5th year as they make their way up to the Yakima Valley to harvest their hops and then return to help them brew their 2017 Fresh Hop IPA.  You’ll also enjoy a light lunch and gourmet dinner upon returning to Schooner Exact.  This is an all day adventure, suitable for any and all hop heads out there.

Here is some more information about this Hop Trip from Schooner Exact Brewing Company:

You are hereby invited to join our 5th Annual Hop Field Trip set for Saturday, September 9th! Tour a working hop farm in Yakima Valley, harvest this year’s Amarillo crop straight off the vine, help brew a fresh hop IPA, AND eat a scrumptious meal prepared by our chef. You’ll probably drink a few beers, too. This trip is by invitation only and we have a very limited amount of seats so reply to this email with contact information or call the brewery to secure your spot now!

Use invite code HOPTRIP2017 when you call.

Stop by the brewery or call (206) 432-9734 to reserve your spot today!

What’s included?

– Virgil Gamache Hop Farm: Exclusive Tour
– Harvest fresh hops from the vine
– Participate in brewing a Fresh Hop IPA
– Farm Fresh Hop IPA commemorative bottle*
– Schooner EXACT’s Fresh Hop IPA bottle
– Continental breakfast prior to departure
– Round-trip transportation on a luxury coach
– Light sack lunch
– Gourmet dinner, crafted by Chef Martin Conquest
– Drinks provided starting with a sampling of beer on the bus ride

What’s it cost?
$250 covers you for this all-inclusive day of fun and debauchery

2017 Hop Field Trip Dinner Menu

Pork Loin
apple wood smoked, house mustard, pickles

Barbecued Brisket
espresso porter mop sauce

Japanese Potato Salad
carrot, cucumber, onion, corn, scallion, kewpie mayo

Heirloom Tomato Salad
balsamic reduction, olive oil, basil

Bread & Butter
Mom’s onion bread, whipped butter

Baked Beans
roasted poblano chilies

Cruciferous Slaw
broccoli, green cabbage, kale, carrot

Assortment of Confections

$250 may sound like a lot, but considering that price includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and transportation, as well as the experience of harvesting hops in the Yakima Valley and helping brew a Fresh Hop IPA, it’s actually quite a deal.  Call Schooner Exact today to reserve your spot and be sure to use the code HOPTRIP2017 when you call.

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.