Welcome to Volume 10, No. 3 (such that it is). My apologies. Tomorrow is the final day of July and we’re still unpacking. Regular transmissions of Hop Queries will resume in August, including the Hop Quiz.
In the interim, where are a few things to listen to and read about:
FRIENDSHIP FORGED THROUGH HOPS
A two hour-plus edition of the No Dirt No Flowers podcast packed with inside baseball hops, so maybe not for the casual enthusiast. Here’s the synopsis:
“Mike and Drew welcomed good friends Leslie Roy and Mike Smith of Loftus Ranches for a long, fun conversation. Filled with stories, history, and insights from their decades in the hop industry as we look back on memorable moments like the 1970s ‘Think Tank’ meetings, hauling refrigerators and generators to Idaho for hop cuttings, and the legendary ‘midnight roll’ during the Marketing Order era. We also discuss the industry’s evolution—from drip irrigation, direct brewer contracts, and the creation of Yakima Chief through the Hopunion merger to the rise of craft brewing, the fall of the Yakima Co-op, and navigating major market corrections—before exploring today’s challenges around breeding programs, quality, branding, contracting, and grower-brewer relationships. Above all, Mike and Leslie reflect on the friendships and partnerships that have defined an industry they are grateful to have been part of for generations.”
LOZA FARMS: HOPS, WATER, IMMIGRATION & THE FUGURE OF YAKIMA VALLEY AGRICULTURE
Junior Loza talks about “real challenges facing Central Washington agriculture, including drought, water restrictions, rising fertilizer, diesel and production costs, workforce shortages, the H-2A guest-worker program, immigration enforcement, and the need for a fair path to citizenship for hardworking people who have built their lives here.”
BREWING SCIENTISTS TOM SHELLHAMMER AND CECILE CHENOT ARE CHANGING HOW WE THINK ABOUT OLDER HOPS
AROMA SHELF LIFE
Shellhammer and Chenot discuss two different studies in Beer & Brewing and MBAA podcasts. One involves Citra, Cascade, and Centennial; the other Strata. Some interesting takeaways beyond shelf life from the podcasts as well as papers that resulted from their research. I plan to write about them next month.
This link that summarizes much of what has already been reported here, but more important includes a link to the annual report that serves as Christmas in July for hop geeks. Beyond the numbers, I always look forward to seeing what is featured at the end of the report. This year it is non-alcoholic beers.
“From Wallflower to International Star” begins, “Hardly any other trend can be said to have had such a profound impact on the brewing industry in recent years as the boom in non-alcoholic beers, also known as NABs. Market researchers and industry associations from numerous countries report unanimously of consistently high growth rates. Sales are growing at a rate of 85% in the USA and 8 % in Germany. In Ireland, growth has increased by as much as 150% over the past five years.”
And it concludes, “Hops and hop products thus continue to play a leading role, as the message for brewers and hop merchants alike is this: Non-alcoholic beverages are not just add-ons; they are a global growth market—with surprisingly big flavors and an even bigger future.”
THE SPORTS CENTER IN DOWNTOWN YAKIMA HAS CLOSED
The “iconic pub known for their bright neon lights and spinning duck hunter marquee has been a mainstay in the heart of Washington’s apple, marijuana, and hop growing region. While The Sports Center was a dive bar through and through, you could always count on a great craft beer selection, especially during hop harvest when brewers and local hop farms wanted to see their experimental hops and seasonal brews on draft at everyone’s go-to watering hole.”
This story reports the owners hope to make changes to the business, find new management, and eventually reopen The Sports Center under a more sustainable business model. It is not clear what the new model might look like and the chances that the pub will be open by the time (only weeks off) harvest begins.