the WINE GUY

It’s the most fresh time of the year, for beer drinkers anyways. During midto-late September into October, as the leaves turn shades of red, yellow, and orange on trees, the recently harvested hop crop finds its way from brew kettles into bottles and cans. Which means a slew of limited release “fresh” or “wet” hop beers are now hitting shelves, and they won’t be around for long.

Fresh-hopped beers have a devoted (and growing) following in the craft community. They’re seen as both an embodiment of the best of local brewing and a fine seasonal celebratory tipple. Here are three freshhopped beers I recently came across, go grab them if you can!

THE SWIRL: COQUITLAM CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

The Coquitlam Craft Beer Festival returns Nov. 2–3 to showcase beers from more than 40 craft breweries paired with bites from nearly 10 local restaurants and caterers. The festival takes place from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Westwood Plateau Golf Club (3251 Plateau Blvd., Coquitlam). New this year is an exclusive “Women in Beer” tasting room showcasing female Brewmasters from around the Lower Mainland. Tickets are $59 for Friday and $49 for Saturday (plus GST) and include entry as well as beer and food samples. For complete details head to coquitlambeerfestival.com.

Yellow Dog Brewing Co. Alpha Dog Fresh Hop Pale Ale, Port Moody

In a few short years, Yellow Dog’s Alpha Dog Fresh Hop Pale Ale has become, well, an alpha example for local fresh-hopped ales. Each year beer aficionados patiently await the Port Moody brewery’s seasonal release, and as luck would have it I rolled into my local specialty beer shop the same afternoon this year’s offering arrived. Checking in at 60 IBUs on a Pale, Munich, and Crystal malt base and festooned with 100 per cent fresh Citra hops, the Alpha Dog pours dark golden and brings a nice mix of freshness and earthy depth in an overall robust and balanced, easy drinking Pale Ale.

Bottom line: A-, Wethopped deliciousness

Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Co. Harvest Fresh IPA, Parksville

With the proliferation of local craft beer, hop crops are seeing a resurgence across the province. They’re being grown and tossed right into brew kettles on the island as well, and Parksville’s Mount Arrowsmith Brewing had freshly harvested Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops delivered directly from Nanaimo’s Vancouver Island Hop Co. for their Harvest Fresh IPA. Featuring citrus aromas with a pine underlay, it’s bold and a tad bitter, with great body and a crisp edge to finish.

Bottom line: B+, Fresh and unfiltered

Strathcona Beer Co. Fresh Hop Sour, Vancouver

This year I’ve also noticed more “alt” fresh hop beers, with breweries going beyond the typical wet-hopped Pale Ales and IPAs. One example is Strathcona Beer Co. and their Fresh Hop Sour, back for another year. Dry-hopped using Enigma and Vic Secret hops, with fresh Citra hops incorporated for good measure, this is a true-to-form sour that provides a lippuckering tartness without going over the top, and concludes with a wine-like finish.

Bottom line: B, Sourness outshines the fresh hops