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Beer of the Week: October 17

Port Brewing High Tide Fresh Hop IPA

The majority of hops utilized for brewing are dried before being used, but sometimes—often near the time of year when hops are harvested in Yakima, Washington—brewers opt for hops straight off the vine to craft what are known as “wet hop” beers. They are harder to come by, cost a lot more to make and are highly coveted for their hefty hop oil character even though the exact flavoring of the final product is often a mystery even to the craftsmen behind them. A fine local example of wet hopping done right is this annual autumn seasonal from San Marcos’ Port Brewing (155 Mata Way, Suite 104). Piney flavors leap from the wispy head of a freshly poured pint glass thanks to wet-hopping with 180 pounds of freshly harvested Centennial and Chinook hops straight from Yakima. Crisp and clean, it’s like falling into a glass full of forest.

Available at:

Available at: Look for High Tide during the annual Wet Hop Festival at O’Brien’s Pub (4646 Convoy Street), one of the largest—if not the largest—wet hop event in the country. An array of roughly 30 wet hop beers on tap and on cask from 20 breweries spanning multiple states will be available from October 18 to 21. That includes local companies Alpine, Ballast Point, Hess, Latitude 33, Port, Stone and Stumblefoot plus notable out-of-towners  such as Anderson Valley, Bear Republic, The Bruery, Drakes, Hollister, Moylan’s and Sierra Nevada.

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