Fresh Hops (2024)

I'm still trying to figure out how all these brewers are keeping the dry hops dry. Kinda seems like a scam

 

That reminds me, I visited one of my favorites recently. Farmhouse ales (on an actual farm), solid lagers, some fun experimental beers. Asked if they were planning on brewing any wet/fresh hop beers now that it’s the season. Felt like I asked for ketchup on a hot dog in Chicago. … but the beertender did tell me they do a lot of dry hopping. Not the same! Not the same!

 

Sad because Michigan is typically right there with NY as the next top hop producer outside the west coast.

I always loved passing the empire hop farms on the way to the beach at the south end of sleeping bear dunes

 

Oooh, where is this magical place? Paging Transient or Seedz!

I couldn’t get enough of almost everything that used Bell’s Sideyard hops. (I think the hazy was a miss for me, as well as one of their experimental batches.) I hope this year delivers on the goods because I got an itch to scratch.

 

The beach is called "empire beach". In the town of empire. Most people walk north (towards sleeping bear) but the beach to the south was always choice in my opinion.

I think the empire hop yards were along highway 72, east of the town of Empire, but I don't recall. Might be on the 22 north of town since it heads east, towards TC, north of Empire.

There's also some hopyards on the Lelenau Peninsula. They are likely already done with harvest at this point though since I think they usually harvest a couple weeks ahead of the pnw farms

 

I’ve been looking for Shorts Kind Ale. They’re using Empire Hops!

 

Time to get back to wetness

 

Had both Cellarmaker’s fresh hop beer, “Fresh (fresh!) Exciting” and ISM’s “Swell Cutter” at Windsor Browns and was blown away by how much more aromatic and lively Swell Cutter was compared to Fresh (fresh!) Exciting.

 

Sadly fresh hop Maui Waui from Altamont underwhelmed. (Served draught at Pangaea)

 

I was just reading about Radiant’s release (The Speed of Now), which I tried last year and would like to again but geez $21 for a 4pack seems a bit much…

 

Looks like Burgeon is doing one fh beer this year and it's strata. They are doing two fresh frozen beers too...one simcoe and one cryo simcoe.

Haven't had a fresh frozen since born again yesterday i believe

 

glad you liked it. Really happy with this year’s batch.

 

I just noticed that my local taproom has Stratacaster on right now, might try to stop by tmrw to check it out.

 

Ghost Town is dropping a fresh hop simcoe.

 

Unfortunately that’s the price these days at most breweries. ASAP was only $16 or 17. GC is still pretty reasonable. I’ll
Be stopping by Radiant tomorrow for TSON. Yes I’ll pay the 21 for fresh hop. It was good last year but don’t recall the price. I guess it’s better than spending 21 or more for Monks cans, which I hardly bother these days.

 

I know, it’s the reality of our market but I just have this mental block about not being ok with it.

 

pFriem fresh hop pale ale

 

And Fremont field to ferment: strata

 

On draft somewhere?