Celebrate Oregon Beer Presents Oregon Homegrown – Strata Hops

A new project is about to make its debut from Celebrate Oregon Beer, a new nonprofit with a mission of establishing Oregon’s reputation as one of the world’s premier beer regions. In one week, Oregon Homegrown – Strata Hops will debut across the state of Oregon. 

Oregon Homegrown is a new statewide collaboration that brings together nearly two dozen breweries, nine hop farms, one hop breeder, and a groundbreaking yeast lab, all from the state of Oregon. In what is said to be the first of an annual series, Oregon Homegrown will educate and delight drinkers as breweries will create different styles of beer from a single Oregon-bred and Oregon-grown hop cultivar. 

For the project kick-off, the two-dozen participating breweries are using Strata hops. Funded by Indie Hops and bred at Oregon State University, Strata was released in 2018 and has quickly become one of Oregon’s signature hop.  It is reminiscent of the Single Hop Shingle Malt (SMaSH) beers of years past but with the sole focus on one hop for each series. It would have been great if the breweries would have also used Oregon grown barley as well, but this project will strictly feature Strata hops all grown in Oregon.

Strata is known for its expressive aromas and flavors of strawberry, citrus, and cannabis, Strata is one of the most versatile varieties grown in the state. Participating breweries will showcase the hop’s adaptability by brewing myriad styles, from IPAs and pale ales to lagers, wheat beers, and saisons. Oregon is one of just three states growing commercial hops, but its cool-weather climate produces region-specific characteristics. Strata hops were bred for Oregon, and nearly every acre grown in the world comes from one of nine hop farms in the Willamette Valley.

The collaboration also includes key support from Wyeast Laboratories, a Hood River based yeast lab. Founded in 1986, Wyeast was a critical support in building a nascent craft brewing industry. As an added bonus, many of the Oregon Homegrown participants are using strains originally donated to Wyeast’s yeast bank by local breweries.  

Many of the Oregon Homegrown beers will be on tap at four tap takeovers taking place in late May through early June in Portland, Salem, Hood River and Bend. Full details on these events are listed towards the end of this article.

Celebrate Oregon Beer Oregon Homegrown Beer Descriptions

3-Legged Crane (Oakridge) | The Spirit of Ted Best Bitter
A crisp, golden, English pale ale. Made with Simpsons Marris Otter English pale malt. English Fuggles and finished with the proper portion of Coleman Greenleaf Strata hops. Open fermented with a classic top cropping English yeast strain.

Bevel (Bend) | Van Life Hazy IPA
Brewed in support of Celebrate Oregon Beer, Van Life is a juicy, hop-forward hazy IPA made possible with generous doses of Fobert Farms Strata and Wyeast 1318 London Ale III. 

Binary Brewing (Beaverton) | Suburban Swarm Kölsch
The ‘burbs are buzzing! Local honey and honey malt bring a sweet touch to this crisp Kolsch with a modern twist of using BC Hop Farms Strata hops and Wyeast 2565 Kolsch strain.

Boring Brewing (Sandy) | Mitch’s Honey Kölsch
Honey from the Sandy River basin along with the Strata hops makes this a very pleasing session beer. Perfect for a Kolsch Service. (Wyeast 2565 Kolsch)

Cascade Lakes (Redmond) | Homegrown Brewerist Pale Ale
It’s a great time to celebrate the world’s greatest beer locale with its own ingredients! Enjoy this radiant Oregon Pale Ale from our state’s heart for all of her people. (6%, 45 IBU, Westwood Farms Strata, Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale)

Crooked Creek (St. Helens) | Strat’ Outta Oregon Brett IPA
(6.4%, Coleman Alluvial Farm, and three Wyeast strains: 5151-PC Brett C, 1318 London Ale III,  and1762 Belgian Abbey II)

Double Mountain (Hood River) | The Wind Cries Strata West Coast Pilsner
You can smell hoppiness staggering down the hop back. With these hops, this old brewery, and this wisdom, we find lush chord changes over a clean pilsner base. And the wind, it whispers Strata. (Coleman Farms Strata)

Level Beer (Portland) | Press Pause Pale Ale
This pale ale has a smooth malt body with mild caramel and bready malt character balanced with an assertive hop bitterness and wonderful citrus and floral hop flavors and aromas. We made this version of our classic pale ale for a classic and unique twist on one of our favorites.

Montavilla Brew Works (Portland) | Lil’ More Righteous Hoppy Pale Ale
This super sessionable hoppy pale ale is light, bright, and snappy and is bursting with over-the-top Strata goodness! Brewed with pilsner malt, a touch of Vienna for character, a bit of Simcoe hops for a piney background note and Strata hops on the hot side and in the dry hop. Righteous indeed! (Wyeast 1056 American Ale and Coleman Home Farms Strata)

Oak Union (Portland) | Her Own Wings West Coast IPA
Her Own Wings unfolds with layers of sun-kissed strawberry, drifting tropical fruit, and a hush of cannabis, before fading into the dense resin of the pines.

Root & Rye (Carlton) | Thorns of Strata Fruited Wheat
A vibrant salute to local craft and the spirit of the Oregon Homegrown Collaboration. This wheat ale harnesses the fresh, tangy allure of prickly pear, elevated by a dry hopping addition of Oregon-grown Strata hops. (ABV 5.6% IBU 7, Goschie Farms Strata and Wyeast 1010 American Wheat yeast)

Solera (Parkdale) | Strata Lite Special American Lager
4.8%, Sodbuster/Lakeside Stratas and Wyeast 2035-PC American Lager yeast.

Stickmen (Tualatin, Happy Valley, McMinnville) | Strata Sploosh Hazy IPA
Hazy IPA brewed with Oregon grown Strata hops and Oregon grown malt. Flavor profile of tropical fruits and a hint of piney resins. (6%, 42 IBU, Wyeast 1318 London Ale III yeast)

The RAM (Medford) | Wander and Charge IPA
American IPA using Coleman Farms Strata hops and Wyeast 1272 American Ale II yeast. The beer features passionfruit, mango, and dank aromas with a clean, subtle malt finish (6.4%, 72 IBUs)

TPK and Oregon City Collab (Portland & OC) | Like, Comet, Subscribe
Hi, I’m Jess! I’m the former assistant brewer at Oregon City Brewing, and I’d like to welcome you to my channel. For this episode, I really wanted to explore the interplay between Strata and Crosby-grown Comet CGX and in a West Coast IPA. The result is this piney, citrusy-smooth IPA with hints of blackcurrant and mango. Don’t forget to Like, Comet, Subscribe! (7.5%

Upright (Portland) | Strata Saison
A straightforward saison, featuring BC Hop Ranch Stratas with a little wheat malt and Indie Hops Lórien hops as well (5.5% Wyeast 3726 Farmhouse Ale)

Vertigo (Hillsboro) | Erik eStrata Hazy IPA
New England IPA showcasing Oregon Grown Strata hops paired with Eldorado to produce juicy fruity notes of melon, peach and passionfruit, with some citrus and piney resin. (6%, Coleman Alluvial Farm Stratas, Wyeast 1318 London Ale III yeast)

Wild Ride (Prineville) | Copious Amounts of Strata XPA
A West Coast-themed extra pale ale with Pilsner malt and a touch of Mecca Grade wheat to coat the mouth. F&B Farm  Stratas with a light dose of Simcoe lend huge notes of passion fruit and guava blended with touches of citrus rolled up with dank fresh cut buds. (6%, Coleman Alluvial Farm Stratas, Wyeast 2575 kolsch yeast)

Zoiglhaus (Portland) | Oregon Homegrown Vienna Lager
Brewed with Oregon-grown malts and hops, we put the Zoiglhaus spin on it, making a crisp, sessionable lager with notes of toasted grains and hop aromas/flavors of strawberry and citrus. Prost to Oregon!!! (5.8%, 28 IBU, Goschie Farms Strata)

Beer drinkers will be able to try these beers at participating brewery locations as well as four tap-takeovers in taprooms across Oregon with exact locations and times listed below. 

• Portland: Roscoe’s (8105 SE Stark St), May 23-25 
• Salem: Westside Taphouse (1594 Edgewater St NW #110), May 31-June 1  
• Hood River: 64 Taphouse (208 Oak St), June 6-8 
• Bend: River’s Place (787 NE Purcell Blvd), June 7-8 

If you would like to hear more about the Oregon Homegrown – Strata Hops project, please visit https://celebrateoregonbeer.com/oregon-homegrown.