A-B offers fresh hops
Those wild and crazy guys at Anheuser-Busch continue to serve up surprises.
The fresh hop ale they brought to the Great American Beer Festival, but that you had to know to ask for (the bottles had simple labels taped on them reading “Home Test, Fresh Hop Ale”), will be served to patrons who tour four the A-B’s 12 breweries in the United States.
From the press release:
Generally in brewing, hops are kilned almost immediately after harvesting to extend the timeframe over which they can make a good beer. In a fresh hop process, brewmasters skip the kilning process, adding freshly harvested hops to the maturation tank, which results in a more intense hop aroma. Anheuser-Busch used domestic noble hops of the Saaz variety from its Elk Mountain Hop Farm, as well as two-row and caramel malts for this brew.
“Because we’re encouraged to experiment with different beer flavors, we often develop small batches from time to time as part of our new product creation,” said Florian Kuplent, one of the company’s brewers. “We had such a great reaction when people tried this batch, we decided to share it on a broader scale. While we didn’t make huge quantities of this beer — and now can’t since the hops harvest ended in the fall — we think our tour center visitors will appreciate trying the Front Range beer and getting a feel for the type of brews they might see from Anheuser-Busch in the future.”
Fresh Hop Harvest Ale will only be available as part of the company’s complimentary sampling program at the end of its brewery tours at its facilities in Fairfield, Calif.; Fort Collins, Colo.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and St. Louis. The brewery expects to have enough to last into February.
