Hopwire Blog

As the last few bales of 2021 crop roll in on trucks from farms across the PNW and are stored away in YCH warehouses, we now have a more holistic view of this year’s hop harvest.

The United States’ agriculture industry is made up of an incredibly diverse group of people, making it a very special community to be a part of. American agriculture has been greatly enriched by the contributions of many cultures and nationalities.

Yakima Chief Hops is proud to celebrate an exciting milestone alongside the Pink Boots Society, as we release the 5^th Annual Pink Boots Blend!

John Coleman of Coleman Agriculture has provided us with the latest crop update from the hop yards of the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

Joe Catron, Vice President of the Footprints® program at Yakima Chief Ranches is here to provide today's crop update from the hop yards of Yakima Valley, WA.

Fresh hop ales have long since been one of the most celebratory beers in the craft beer community. Brewed with whole wet cones straight from the bine and into the kettle within 36 hours of harvest, they represent hops in their most natural form while honoring their rich agricultural roots.

Protecting our planet is not a local issue, it is a global mission. Yakima Chief Hops is committed to conserving and protecting this precious environment we call home, and we are looking at how we can expand our vision to match our worldwide presence.

Each year, Yakima Chief Hops collaborates with military veteran brewers across the country to select a new hop blend recipe. While this is typically done in-person, YCH continued with the virtual blend selection method this year, allowing them to continue this vital tradition.

"I am sure most of you have heard by now that we have a heat wave in the Pacific Northwest. We know many of you have called in and had questions about what that means for the hop crop in 2021. We thought we would bring you out here in the middle of a hop field, and give you update as to what is going on and maybe give you our thoughts on what this might mean for our crop this year."

Reporting from a Citra® yard, the Citra® plant is about right for where we would expect it to be right now. This yard was trained about a month ago so all of the growth is the result of 4 weeks of plant growth.

As a grower-owned hop supplier, we understand the importance of water. Eighty percent of the hops grown in the United States use water from two Northwest wild salmon watersheds, Yakima Valley and Willamette Valley watersheds.

With over 300 breweries purchasing the 4th Annual Pink Boots Blend and sharing their stories with us over social media, we are amazed and humbled by the creativity and passion shown by women across the industry.  Among the many stories told, one caught our eye early on and we’d love to share their story.