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Tuck Woodstock

Tuck Woodstock

Tuck Woodstock has been writing and editing content for Travel Portland since 2014. Read More

Fresh hops at the 2008 Portland Fresh Hop Beer Festival Fresh hops at the 2008 Portland Fresh Hop Beer Festival
i
Fresh hops at the 2008 Portland Fresh Hop Beer Festival
Credit: brx0 via Flickr
Culture / Beer

Fresh Hops in Portland

Celebrate the hop harvest with sudsy festivals and seasonal beers.

Updated Apr. 30, 2020 3 min read
Tuck Woodstock

Tuck Woodstock

Tuck Woodstock has been writing and editing content for Travel Portland since 2014. Read More

Love the bitter, tangy taste of an IPA? You can thank hops, the fragrant, cone-shaped flowers that brewers use to flavor and preserve their beers. While most brews feature dried hops, the autumn hop harvest in the surrounding Willamette Valley gives Portland beermakers the “hop-portunity” to snag fresh-picked (aka “wet” hops) for one-off, limited edition creations loaded with peak season flavors. Some brewers are so giddy about the harvest they have been know to ride cargo-style bikes to local farms to gather the yields, demonstrating Portlanders’ easy access to world-class ingredients and our natural tendency to be a little “weird.” Celebrate the season in true Beervana style with these pints and parties.

Events

Each October, the Portland Fresh Hops Fest fills Oaks Amusement Park with fresh hop beers from across Oregon. Past participants include regional all-stars like Eugene’s Ninkasi, Astoria’s Fort George and Bend-based Deschutes.

The biggest event of its kind in the state — if not the world — the Hood River Hops Fest features more than 60 fresh hop beers from dozens of Northwest breweries. Sample seasonal specials by Hood River locals like Double Mountain, Full Sail and pFriem Family Brewers, including a handful of fruity hop ciders. The party also features live music, Willamette Valley wine, arts and crafts from local makers and a family-friendly play area.

Beer Festivals

More Brew
The Oregon Brewers Festival draws more than 80,000 attendees every July.

Oregon Brewers Festival

Portland hosts dozens of beer festivals every year, but none compares to the Oregon Brewers Festival. With offerings from 80 craft brewers, the event draws nearly 70,000 attendees to the downtown waterfront every July.

A tasting event at Gigantic Brewing\'s taproom and lounge.

Portland Beer Week

Portland Beer Week spotlights Portland’s breweries, high-quality brews and vibrant beer culture.

The Portland Craft Beer Festival is held in The Fields Park over the Fourth of July weekend.

Beer Festivals in Portland

Portland isn't shy about its love of beer — the city has nearly as many beer festivals as it does breweries.

Still Thirsty?

Oregon towns Eugene, Sisters, Silverton, Independence and St. Paul all host their own fresh hop fetes — dates and details available via Oregon Craft Beer.

Beers

You don’t need to buy a festival ticket to taste a wet hop brew. Many of Portland’s more than 60 breweries celebrate the hops harvest with limited edition beers crafted with freshly-picked ingredients.

Each September, the McMenamins team rushes more than 1,000 pounds (453.6 kg) of fresh Brewer’s Gold hops from Salem’s Sodbuster Farms to their two dozen breweries throughout the Northwest. D\ubbed “The Running of the Brewers,” this annual event heralds hundreds of delicious barrels of Thundercone Fresh Hop Ale, available at all 66 (and counting) McMenamins locations (while supplies last).

Around Labor Day, the Deschutes Brewery crew fills bags with fresh Nugget, Centennial and Fresh Crystal hops from a nearby farm, hurrying back to toss the flowers in the brew kettles within four hours of picking. The resulting Fresh Hop Pale Ale packs a bright citrus punch and pleasant fall spice — the unique combo even took home “World’s Best Harvest Pale Ale” at the 2011 World Beer Awards.

Still Thirsty?

Stop by any local brewery in late September and chances are good that you’ll find a fresh hop masterpiece on tap. Recent favorites include “Hopularity Contest” at Base Camp Brewing and “1.21 Gigahops Fresh Hop Brown” at StormBreaker Brewing. If you’re lucky, you might snag a sip of a bottle of a wet-hop Workhorse IPA from Laurelwood Brewing. With such abundant fresh flavors, Portland beer lovers are a very lucky bunch. But don’t delay — another bountiful season of fresh hops beer will be over before you know it!

Beer, Fall

Portland Beers by Style

In a city with more breweries than any other on earth, the simple act of ordering a beer is not always so simple. Our insider’s guide is here to help.

Read more

Upcoming Beer Events

Get a taste of Portland's craft beer scene with these upcoming festivities.

Full calendar
Canceled
Oregon Brewers Festival
July 28–31, 2021

Oregon Brewers Festival

Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Portland hosts dozens of beer festivals every year, but none compares to the Oregon Brewers Festival. With offerings from 80 craft brewers, the event draws nearly 70,000 attendees to the downtown waterfront every July.

Canceled
Beer
Festivals
Summer

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