Could hop farms have their own Grand Cru designation?
In wine, there’s such a thing as a Grand Cru vineyard. These prized sites are renowned for creating some of the best fruit—and, ultimately, the very best wines—in the world. Which begs the question: What if such a designation existed for beer?
Hops are one of the most important ingredients in beer and, like wine grapes, thrive in certain corners of the world. In Yakima and the Willamette Valley especially, hops can reach their full potential and are eagerly gobbled up by brewers from coast to coast. Some of these farms are so special that if the Grand Crus title did apply, they’d almost certainly be candidates.
Dan Peterson is the brewmaster at Ferment Brewing in Hood River. It’s one of the most underrated west coast breweries on the map. “My relationship with hops has changed quite a lot since I first started brewing 24 years ago,” he says. “Back then, they were an ingredient, in the form of little pellets, that came in a box; I would weigh them out, and in they would go without a whole lot of thought about where they came from. Now, a bit older and wiser and living in the Pacific Northwest, hops are a big part of my life. Each year I get some guaranteed visits to hop farms while the farmers are harvesting and we pick up for our fresh hop beers. There are many hop farms in the world and I wish I could visit them all, I am sure that many of them are amazing.”
Coleman Alluvial Farm
“Approaching all three of these farms, you can feel that these are great products raised by great people,” says Peterson. “The farms are meticulous, with old farmhouses and roads lined with hazelnut trees and hop trellises in all directions. The harvest is a beautiful operation of hands-on agriculture at an impressive pace running around the clock.”
Set in Independence, Oregon along the Willamette River, the farm is home to 16 different hop varieties. The Alluvial Farm soil is fertile mix of clay, sand, and silt, deposited by the Missoula Floods. This ideal earth combines for a near-perfect climate to create some of the most coveted hops around.
“The hop cones that are not picked up by us brewers for our fresh hop needs are carefully distributed by machines into the kilns, which gently dry them by blowing warm air from below,” he says.
Crosby Farms
The 600-acre farm in Woodburn, Oregon, is home to 14 different hop varieties. The family-run operation is committed to both innovation and sustainability and a cool collaborative tap area with some amazing one-off beers. The Crosby name is a historic one two, with the first generation growing so-called green gold as far back as the mid-1800s.
“I have always enjoyed making beer, but visiting these farms and buying hops from these farmers makes enjoying making beer even easier by knowing just how much care goes into growing each little cone and toward this great big world we are on,” he says.
Goschie Farms
Chat up any top brewer and this is another name likely to brought up. Goschie Farms focuses on hops as well as wine grapes and a few other crops and is deservedly revered by the craft world. The fourth-generation Silverton, Oregon operation grows some 15 hop varieties and counting, with test rows every year to determine up-and-coming options.
“These three hop farms each show a very impressive commitment to sustainable farming practices, each of which being Salmon Safe certified,” he says. Peterson adds that Goschie has led the charge as the first certified hop farm in the nation. “Visiting these agronomists it is immediately clear that their passion lies not only in growing and offering the best hops possible, but in tending to the land of the farm and the ecosystems surrounding them.”
That kind of commitment and passion is infections. “I find it inspiring to visit farms in operation for over 100 years that are pursuing new, green technologies using advanced eco-agriculture, solar power, micro-irrigation, soil moisture monitoring, integrated pest control using beneficial bugs, cover crops, and large-scale composting,” Peterson says.
Morrier Ranch
A favorite among Washington state brewers and producers beyond, this fifth-generation family operation is set in the hop-heavy Yakima Valley. A G.A.P.-certified project, the farm is sustainable and grows eight different hop types. The farm dates back to 1898 and has swollen to some 500 acres. Having won awards for hop quality, the ranch is highly sought-after by brewers, cider makers, and more. Morrier Ranch harvests varieties like Mt. Rainier, Tahoma, and Triumph.
Again, following the lead of wine, brewers are starting to credit their growers a lot more (and for good reason). Look out for these beer hops and farm names on labels and marketing material going forward to see just how much quality they can impart in a good IPA or other beer style.
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