Thanks to saltywaterman on Flickr for the delicious photo.

If you are a fan of fresh hop beers and live in Seattle, you won’t want to miss the WA vs. OR Fresh Hop Throwdown at The Noble Fir in Ballard on October 15. There are always a lot of fresh hop beers floating around during September and October, and some of us do everything we can to try as many different examples as possible. This year, I got together with Rick Weersing and Ellen Kelly of The Noble Fir, and we’re putting together a lineup of up to 15 different fresh hop beers that will all be available when the bar opens at 4pm on Saturday, October 15.

Just a few of the participating breweries will include Two Beers, Snipes, and Paradise Creek from Washington, and Oakshire, Deschutes, and Laurelwood from Oregon (full lineup below). A large majority of the country’s hops are grown in Washington and Oregon, and our local breweries have a distinct advantage in sourcing fresh wet hops and have more chances to experiment with these beers. This is a great chance to try some of the best fresh hop beers from both states in one place.

There will also be a private blind judging of the lineup earlier in the day and the winning brewery and state lineup will be announced later at the event.

If you are new to fresh hop beers, this is a great event to introduce you to them. What is a fresh hop beer? Most of the annual crop is processed into dried hops that store well and will last throughout the year. Before hops are dried, they are known as “fresh hops” or “wet hops”. When beer is brewed with these fresh hops straight off the vine (or “bine” if you prefer), it can impart a very unique flavor profile vs. the use of typical dried hops. Fresh hops can impart a fresh, green, earthy hop taste, and they can really enhance the aroma of a beer. Some fresh hop beers are brewed exclusively with wet hops, while others are brewed with a combination of wet and dry hops. In addition to finding fresh hop beers on draft, you’ll be able to find bottled fresh hop beers over the next month or two.

If anyone has questions about the event, feel free to send me an email.

WA vs. OR Fresh Hop Throwdown
Saturday, October 15, 2011 at The Noble Fir starting at 4pm
Sponsored by Seattle Beer News

What is it?
The Fresh Hop Throwdown is a gathering of fresh hop beers from Washington & Oregon. Up to 15 beers will be on tap for the public starting at 4pm. There will also be a private judging of the lineup earlier in the day and the winning brewery and state lineup will be announced later at the event.

Participating Breweries
From Washington:
Two Beers
Big Time
Iron Horse
Snipes
Paradise Creek
Schooner Exact
Big Al

From Oregon:
Oakshire
Laurelwood
Deschutes
Hopworks
Full Sail

We’ll likely be adding two more from Oregon to round out the lineup at 14, with 7 fresh hop beers from each state.