The Portland Fresh Hops Fest is the state’s largest celebration of Oregon’s annual hop harvest. The 15th annual Portland Fresh Hops Fest will present more than 60 fresh-hop Oregon beers, each made with hops picked off the bine and used within hours of harvesting. The event will take place Sept. 28 and Sept. 29 at Oaks Amusement Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way. Hours are 5pm to 9pm on Friday and 12pm to 8pm on Saturday.
“This festival offers beer lovers in the Pacific Northwest a once-a-year opportunity to taste more than five-dozen Oregon made fresh-hop beers in one location,” explained Brian Butenschoen, Executive Director of the Oregon Brewers Guild. “Fresh hop beers are a celebration of the local hop harvest that runs from mid-August to mid-September in Oregon, and many breweries make multiple beers during the fresh-hop season.”
Admission to the Portland Fresh Hops Fest is free. Drinking packages cost $20 for a souvenir tasting glass and nine drink tickets in advance, or six drink tickets at the door. Discount ticket packages are currently available via MercPerks, offering two tasting glasses and 18 drink tickets for $30; the discount is valid through August 31 or for the first 100 tickets sold, whichever occurs first. General advance admission tickets are on sale now at www.oregoncraftbeer.org/freshhopsfest; enter the code “freshnotwet” for $2.50 off each ticket through Sept. 27. Additional tasting tickets are sold onsite for $2 each or three for $5. Event parking is free.
The final beer list will be released in mid-September, but an early list with beer names, styles and descriptions is available now at Google Drive. Each brewery provides only one beer, so attendees are encouraged to arrive on Friday or early on Saturday for the greatest selection. The festival will also feature homebrew demonstrations from Portland U-Brew on Saturday from Noon to 5pm; a number of commercial vendors; and on-site food from Urban German Grill.
Minors are not allowed on Friday but are permitted on Saturday until 5pm (Oaks Amusement Park is closed that day, but the train will be running from 12pm to 5pm for kids accompanied by adults). Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome.
Hops are one of the four main ingredients used to make beer, along with grain, yeast and water. The hop plant’s flower, called a cone, is what gives beer its pleasant bitter flavor and aroma. Most of the United States’ hop production takes place in the Pacific Northwest, thanks to its rich soil, rainfall and mild air. Oregon is the second largest hop producing state in the United States, with most hops grown in the Willamette Valley.
The Portland Fresh Hops Fest is organized by the Oregon Brewers Guild. Learn more at www.oregoncraftbeer.org and follow @OregonCraftBeer on social media, #freshhops. RSVP at the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/286752405476344/
About the Oregon Brewers Guild
The Oregon Brewers Guild is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the state’s craft brewing industry and the common interests of its members. Founded in 1992, the Oregon Brewers Guild is one of the nation’s oldest craft brewers associations. The Guild, which receives no state funding, comprises 160 brewing companies, 130 associate or supplier members and more than 4,000 enthusiast members or S.N.O.B.s (Supporters of Native Oregon Beer).
Terry Bunch
