Carolyn Fath
Wisconsin’s hop harvest finished a few weeks ago, so the initial flurry of local wet hop beers is starting to appear. With wet hop beers, the brewer uses freshly picked hops, often dropping them into the brew kettle on the day of the harvest. The result can be wonderfully aromatic, a true seasonal delicacy for those who enjoy hops.
Among local wet hop brews are the Hop Garden’s Festiv Ale and Nuggetopia, both made with hops from owner Rich Joseph’s farm near Belleville. “We pick the hops, run them through our harvester, and then immediately take them over to the brewery and throw them into the wort,” says Joseph. Both are draught-only beers found at the Hop Garden’s Paoli taproom and a handful of Madison’s more extensive beer bars. Festiv Ale features Centennial hops, rich in citrus aroma and flavor; Nuggetopia is all about Nugget hops, which lend herbal, woody and pine qualities.
Rockhound Brewing of Madison also just released its take on wet hop brewing. Owner and brewmaster Nate Warnke obtained five pounds of fresh Cascades from Gorst Valley Hops of Mazomanie. Warnke tried something a little different and smoked the hops over hickory wood and then added them to a pale ale he’s calling Campfire. That beer just went on tap in the brewpub over the past weekend.
And Sprecher Brewing of Glendale plans to release the first in a series of whole-cone hop beers in the next few weeks. The initial offering will be Wisconsin Pale Lager, or WIPL, which features freshly picked Wisconsin-grown Cascade hops. Such hopped up brews are not new to Sprecher, which has been offering its take on the practice for several years. What is new is the brewery’s series of whole-cone hop beer that will eventually include Citra Bomb IPA, made with Simcoe and Citra, which is expected out in late November. Pineapple Express, a Belgian Tripel with Mosaic and Equinox, will come out at the end of the year. Finally, All-American Pale Ale featuring Cascade, Mt. Hood, Citra and Simcoe hops is scheduled for release in February.
Drink and be merry
Ale Asylum’s annual Ferment Dissent this year features Impending Dissent, a rum-barrel-aged hybrid Imperial Stout fermented with Belgian yeast. Its counterpart, Impending Descent, is a more traditional imperial stout made with a British yeast that’s aged in bourbon barrels. The festival will also feature last year’s versions of both stouts, plus several brewery regulars and new releases. Tickets for the fest, which takes place at the brewery on Oct. 15, 1-5 pm, are $35.
Dead Bird Brewing hosts an Oktoberfest party on Oct. 16, 1-5 p.m., at House of Brews, 4539 Helgesen Drive. Among the featured beers will be Toten Vogel and a limited amount of an imperial Oktoberfest called “The Kaiser.” Tickets are $30.
