Fresh Hops Workshop

For those that thought Portland Beer Week was a week-long celebration of all things beer in Portland held every June, you would only be partially correct. The actual 'week' was held this year over a baker's dozen week of 11 days from June 7th to the 17th. In addition, PDX Beer Week is morphing into the gift that keeps on giving the whole year (much like a Jelly of the Month Club) by adding events year round. This Saturday, September 22nd, they have put together a Fresh Hops Workshop at Saraveza's Bad Habit Room starting at 6:00 PM. Tickets were on sale for $10.50, but they were limited to 50 and the event appears to be sold out. However, I would encourage anybody left without a ticket to still make the trip up to NoPo with the hopes of scalping. Worst case scenario you end up having to hang out at the best Bottle Shop & Pasty Tavern this side of the Rockies.

If you were lucky enough to snag a ticket, here's what you have in store:

  • Four of the first fresh hop beers of the season on tap for purchase: Total Crystalation from Ninkasi Brewing, Killer Green from Double Mountain Brewing, IPX - The Freshmaker from Hopworks Urban Brewery and Wet Hop Simcoe Pale Ale from Breakside Brewery.
  • Respective owners/brewers from each of the breweries will be in attendance to talk about their beer and brewing with fresh hops.
  • Hop interactions via a randall stuffed with fresh hops, hop infused olive oils with bread for dipping and tasting each's properties, hop oils that can be used to dose a beer for flavor/aroma as well as a control batch of macro lager dosed and undosed (I'm guessing Hamm's) and even the opportunity to hand French Press your beer with fresh hops.
  • A discussion on brewing with fresh hops, growing and packaging hops and new regulations on Organic Hops.

I am most looking forward to using the French Press. As a non-coffee drinker living in Portland, I am required to keep coffee on hand for guests and would love to find other uses  for the equipment and this sounds like a winner. This workshop will be great preparation for the flood of fresh hop beers coming down the pike. Hope to see you there!