What’s Hoppin’ This Week: Hop season, Iron Goat, Bellwether and more

Fresh hop season is in full swing, so keep an eye on your favorite local breweries to see when they are releasing their own versions of these autumn-only beers.

It’s sometimes easy to forget that beer is just as much of an agricultural product as wine. These fresh hop beers are a great reminder. To learn more about the brewing process and why these fresh hop beers are so revered in the Inland Northwest, in particular, I suggest an excellent piece published last year in the Seattle Times titled “The wonder of the fresh hop.”

Now on to the events:

Saturday

Iron Goat Brewing (1302 W. Second Ave.) is calling all backyard hops growers to help make its ninth-annual Spo-Hop beer. From 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on the patio, Iron Goat will be accepting donations of hops and having a hop-picking party for anyone who wants to join whether or not you bring hops.

Refreshments will be provided, and all participants will earn 50% off pints of the Spo-Hop beer when it is released.

Bellwether Brewing (2019 N. Monroe St.) is closing out its summerlong sour series with a “Sippin’ on Sours Festival” from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Bellwether is expecting to have all of the special sour ales it released this summer on tap, so you can stop in and sample any that you may have missed.

If you’re looking for a road trip opportunity, Ten Pin Brewing in Moses Lake (1149 N. Stratford Road) is hosting a beer festival to raise money for local nonprofit Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation.

Twelve regional breweries will be featured along with bands, food and games. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door and include a commemorative tasting glass and six samples. The festival is from 1 to 7 p.m.

Sunday

Sunday is the last day to vote for your favorite beer in this summer’s edition of the Lester Cup, a local brewing competition for bragging rights among several Spokane breweries. Stop by any of the participating locations to pick up a ballot, sample all the special beers and vote for your favorite:

Bellwether Brewing

Black Label Brewing (19 W. Main Ave.)

The Grain Shed (1026 E. Newark Ave.)

Humble Abode Brewing (1620 E. Houston Ave.)

Mountain Lakes Brewing (201 W. Riverside Ave.)

Whistle Punk Brewing (122 S. Monroe St.)

Voters will be invited to the awards party (date TBD), so be sure to cast your ballot.