McMenamins Delivers the Fresh Hops For Thundercone
It’s the beginning of September so it’s the start of fresh hop season here in the Pacific Northwest. Once again McMenamins Breweries join in on the seasonal harvest with its annual Running of the Brewers with yesterday’s early morning hop run to Sodbuster Farms in rural Salem, Oregon.
While at Sodbuster Farms, seven brewing team members from McMenamins picked up 1120 pounds of fresh Simcoe hops to be used in this year’s version of Thundercone Fresh Hop Ale. From there McMenamins rushed these fresh and most fragrant hops to 20 McMenamins breweries all across Oregon and Washington. Amazingly this trip of 1525 miles was completed by 1:00pm. Thundercone debuts on Friday, September 18 and is available until supplies last.
One bag or tote was delivered to each brewery unless the brewery was brewing more than one batch, if so this is notated in the list below.
- Wilsonville
- West Linn
- John Barleycorns/ 2 batches
- Highland
- Kennedy/ 2 batches
- MOTC
- Cornelius Pass Roadhouse/2 batches
- Oak Hills
- Crystal Ballroom/2 batches
- Hillsdale
- Fulton
- Monroe
- High Street
- Roseburg
- Edgefield/ 8 totes
- Thompson
- Old St. Francis/2 batches
- Lighthouse
- Mill Creek
- Roy Street
Being the closet brewery to Sodbuster Farms, Jen Kent at Thompson Brewery in Salem was the first to get her fresh hops at 9am. Legendary Mike “Curly” White at Old St. Francis School receieved his at 11:59am and Kyle Jungck at Queen Ann in Seattle received his at 12:18pm. The last delivery was to Roseburg whose hops arrived at 12:19pm.
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.