In a certain way, hops are to brewing as grapes are to wine. There are dozens of important varietals that vary widely in character from year to year and site to site and they must be picked at the absolute optimal moment. Now fresh hop season is here and we are here for it! When you hear the term fresh hop beer, it means that a beer was brewed with whole, unprocessed, stickylicious cones straight off the bines from the field, not dried in the kiln as usual, within a few hours of picking. It’s an awesome time of year that requires all kinds of extra planning, because the picking dates are set only after careful analysis amid the rows just like it happens in the best vineyards. Yesterday we trucked over to @crosbyhops to pick up some sensationally fresh Centennials for a crushable, bright, lemon head-esque Norwegian-style farmhouse ale that will be on draft here just as soon as you know it! #freshhops #farmhouse #ale #farmhouseale #kveik #centennial #willamettevalley