Last week, three Coronado brewers, Mark, Bart, and Bryce, traveled up north to Yakima, Washington to observe and select various hops for the 2022 brew year. Bart Gumpert, CBC’s Innovation Brewer, took photos of the trip to share with those who may be curious about hop selection and what the process entails.
First stop- HAAS Pellet & Warehouse Complex
Gorgeous views on the two-hour drive from Seattle to Yakima, Washington. 
HAAS Warehouse, where Coronado selects citra and mosaic hops.
These are the cores of hops from various farms across Idaho, Washington and Oregon. 
Rubbing the hops creates friction which helps release the oils to evaluate the aromatic qualities. 
Sampling new products at the HAAS hop tasting room. Cheers!
Next stop- Hollingsworth & Sons Facility
Time to observe and select El Dorado hops. 
Bryce sampling El Dorado hops.
Next stop- CLS Farm Tour
Boys on the facility tour, posing with the hops that have been bailed already. 
About three to four hop mountains of this size are bailed daily.
Final stop- Exploring the Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) Farm
Small snippets of hops, propagated in nutrient rich media. 
In the early stages, hops thrive in high humidity environments. 
Lady bugs are placed on the crop to eat small pests. 
Hops must dry out before the bailing process. 
Meet Lambeau, the YCH farm dog!
Cheers to another successful hop selection trip in the books. With hop selection complete, Coronado Brewing looks forward to another innovative year filled with hoppy new beers brewed with the best hops in the Pacific Northwest. Next time you’re in the Tasting Room, ask your server about the specific hops that go into the beer in your hand!
