Wet hop beers are prized for their fresh aromas and flavors, stemming from the fact that the hops were harvested just a few hours before they landed in brew kettles.
This is a relatively simple process if your brewery is in the nation’s major hop-growing states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. But in San Diego County, where hop farms are few in number and tiny in size, this presents a problem.
Stone’s solution: Graham Gamache, the flying farmer of Toppenish, Wash. Gamache, 49, owns Cornerstone Ranches in Washington’s Yakima Valley.
On Sept. 1, he rose at 2 a.m., oversaw the harvesting of 365 lbs. of Centennial hops, stuffed them into sacks and loaded these into his Cessna 206.
He took off at 7:15 a.m., flying south for Chico. There, he took a bathroom break and checked the weather. By 10:45 a.m., he was back in the air. At 3 p.m., he touched down at San Diego International Airport, where he was met by Stone’s head brewer, Jeremy Moynier. By 3:45 p.m., Cornerstone’s hops were in a brew kettle at Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens – Liberty Station. They’d traveled 1,136 miles in less than 14 hours.
Why go to all this trouble?
“You get different flavors and an intense aroma from very fresh hops,” Moynier said. “It’s nice to bring that to San Diego in a unique way.”
Tap Room, Julian’s Nickel Beer and a few other local breweries are making wet hop beers this month. Because they are drawing on small harvests from local farms, these will be small batches of beer. Stone, in contrast, plans to make 30 kegs of fresh hop Ruination IPA. Look for it at Stone’slocations in late September and early October.
Modern Troubles
Modern Times once was among the nation’s largest and fastest-growing craft breweries. The COVID pandemic hit the Point Loma-based brewery hard — as it did many businesses — but its troubles went deeper.
Beset with massive debt, underperforming taprooms and an owner battling harassment allegations, Modern Times went into a tailspin before Maui Brewing acquired it in 2022. As Craft ‘Ohana, the two breweries maintain separate identities.
At least one of those identities is still troubled. As Brandon Hernández’s San Diego Beer News recently reported, Craft ‘Ohana is closing the original Point Loma location and shifting the brewing operation to Miramar. There, AleSmith is under contract to produce all Modern Times beers.
I’ve enjoyed Modern Times beers and admire AleSmith. But this is further evidence that San Diego County has been overserved with breweries. While our population equals that of Nevada, we boast triple the number of breweries.
Those boasts may ring hollow, however, if notable breweries continue to close, contract or sell out.
The Next Round
Saturday: Need tips on gourd-centric centerpieces? Mission Brewing is hosting a pumpkin succulent workshop at 6 p.m. The $35 fee includes materials, instruction and a drink. Mission Brewing, 4067 Adams Ave., San Diego.missionbrewery.com
Sept. 27-29; Oct. 4-6: The German American Societies of San Diego needs two weekends to celebrate Oktoberfest. Contests, games, oompah music, food and drink. 4-10 p.m. Fridays; Noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays; Noon to 9 p.m. Sundays. 1017 S. Mollison Ave., El Cajon. $5-$15. germanclubsandiego.org
Sept 29: Encinitas’ Oktoberfest and Artisan Faire will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Contests, games, oompah music, etc. encinitasoktoberfest.com
Quick Sips, Sweet Tart Edition
Beer: Tropical Funky FusionFrom: Original 40 Brewing, San DiegoABV (Alcohol By Volume): 5.5 percentStyle: Sour AleDrink or dump: Drink. Funky has soft wheat and Pilsner malts; barnyard funk from lactobaccilus and two strains of Brettanomyces; and notes of fresh pineapple and mango. Moreover, it spent two-and-a-half years in white wine barrels. Tough to make but easy to drink, this is a great hot weather refresher.
Pitted Peach
From: Ketch Brewing, San DiegoABV: 4.7 percentStyle: GoseDrink or dump: Drink. Frothy, like a peach whip, Pitted should be quaffed not sipped, the better to enjoy the delicate stone fruit flavor. Bubbly and lightly salted, this is a cheery and beery cousin of the Bellini cocktail.
Lindemans Kriek
From: Brouwerij Lindemans, Vlezenbeek, BelgiumABV: 3.5 percentStyle: Fruit LambicDrink or dump: Drink. Lambics are tart fruit ales; kriek lambics feature cherries. Sour cherries, Lindemans claims, but this lambic is more sweet than tart. But this ain’t cherry soda. A light body and champagne-like carbonation lift Lindemans Kriek into more sophisticated territory.
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