{"id":57443,"date":"2024-10-30T06:00:24","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T13:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bcaletrail.ca\/?p=57443"},"modified":"2024-10-31T17:29:53","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T00:29:53","slug":"hop-to-it-your-guide-to-b-c-s-fleeting-fresh-hop-beer-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bcaletrail.ca\/hop-to-it-your-guide-to-b-c-s-fleeting-fresh-hop-beer-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Hop to It: Your Guide to B.C.’s Fleeting Fresh Hop Beer Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

While autumn usually signals the inevitable onslaught of everything pumpkin-spiced, savvy B.C. craft beer drinkers know that there\u2019s another seasonal beer trend to keep a close eye on. I\u2019m talking about fresh hop beers, of course!<\/span><\/p>\n

Fresh hop beers are made with hops that come fresh off the bine, making it into the brew kettle or fermenter less than 24 hours after being picked. In BC, hops are typically harvested as early as late August through to early October, and then the race is on to get them to the brewery as soon as possible for maximum freshness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Typically, hops are kiln-dried and pelletized to improve their shelf life. But fresh hop (or wet-hopped) beers retain more of the hops’ essential oils and volatile aromatics, resulting in a beer that is bursting with character that dried hops simply can\u2019t provide.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Barnside Brewing in Delta, BC farm and use their own hops exclusively for all of their brews.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fresh hop beers are often brighter, earthier, more floral and can even feature an almost tingly sensation due to the prevalence of essential oils and acids. Naturally, beer styles that are built around hop character, like IPAs and pale ales, are generally preferred for fresh hop beers.<\/span><\/p>\n

One thing is for sure, though, these unique beers are definitely <\/span>different<\/span><\/i>, and they only come around once a year, so get them while you can.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, it is best to drink fresh hop beers when they are fresh, as the volatile flavour compounds will degrade with considerable speed. Once a fresh hop beer is more than a month old, it’s lost most if not all of its magic.<\/span><\/p>\n