Hops are the floral component in beer, and he who farms the perfect hops wins the hearts of passionate beer makers and drinkers—for example, the individuals who work for California brewery, Firestone Walker.
The brewery has made a brief movie that celebrates the brewer’s journey and the agricultural roots of beer. The movie follows Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, Propagator Brewing Supervisor Sam Tierney, and Uncooked Supplies Supervisor Tim Miller as they make their annual pilgrimage to Yakima Valley in central Washington to supply hops for Firestone Walker.
Brynildson says within the movie. “We’ve got nothing however excessive regard and reward for the farmers who work so exhausting for our beers.” One of many farmers within the movie is Graham Gamache of Cornerstone Ranches, a fifth-generation farm that produces the Cashmere hops featured in notable Firestone Walker IPAs, together with Hopnosis and Thoughts Haze.
Over time, Brynildson has shaped friendships and connections with a wide range of Yakima Valley growers who’re setting the tempo for new-age IPA hops. He notes, “Typically we’ll come out right here, and we’ll rub and odor a hop, and it simply sparks an thought.”
In reality, it was exactly this hop harvest journey to Yakima Valley that impressed Hopnosis, the West Coast IPA that Firestone Walker launched earlier this yr.
