In 1980 we began our journey as artisan brewers with a dream of redefining traditional ales and lagers by showcasing the aromatics and spiciness of whole-cone hops. We felt the subtle nuances from hop vine-to-hop vine made our beers more interesting than those made from the uniform taste of pelletized hops. Great hops should dance on the palate, enliven the senses and have layers of spicy flavors far beyond simple bitterness. After 28 years of brewing with nothing but 100% whole-cone hops, we now use more whole-cone hops than any brewer in the world and are still finding new ways to redefine the American hop experience.

Our latest hop experience is a trilogy of fresh hop ales representing our journey following the hop harvest around the globe. Simply said, we were in search of a way to expand our offering of fresh hop ales throughout the year rather than limiting it to just the fall season. So we scouted the planet exploring new regions to source fresh hops and also explored ways to maximize the oily, resinous qualities of the hops from each harvest as we transported them to our brewery in Chico, California.

To make this project happen, we selected hops from regions where the hop harvest occurred at different times of the year. Southern Hemisphere Harvest uses hops from New Zealand that are harvested in our spring. Our Chico Estate Harvest uses hops grown at our brewery in Chico, California that are harvested in late summer. And our original Harvest Ale uses hops from Yakima, Washington harvested in early fall. The result is three fresh hop ales that will be released at different times of the year, each providing a unique experience with hops from different parts of the world. We aptly call this trilogy of fresh hop ales our Harvest Series.

We hope you enjoy these fine fresh hop ales. For us, this has been the journey of a lifetime and we’re glad we are able to share it with you.

Ken Grossman