Carson, WA - Backwoods Brewing Company is proud to be partnering with Laughing Planet Cafe
of Portland, OR in a fresh hop collaboration. They will be producing a
Citra IPA that will be available in all of Laughing Planet’s 15 OR locations.
For
the last several weeks, every tap house and beer shop in the NW have
been clamoring for fresh hop beer, a beer made exclusively with fresh or
wet hops, that haven’t been kiln-dried. The undried hops give off
earthy dank notes that can only be enjoyed once a year in the US. When
Backwoods’ Kevin Waters and Jordan Tanasse met with Jonathan Grumbles,
Laughing Planet’s Food & Beverage Director, it was clear that
brewing a fresh hop together would not only be a ton of fun, but would
also adhere to Laughing Planet’s mission of sourcing fresh local
ingredients for their finished products.
The two companies coordinated a field trip out to B&D Farms
in St. Paul, OR to bag up several hundred pounds of Citra hops. Citra
is grown in the NW and is known for its tropical citrus notes, including
grapefruit and melon. The staff toured the facility and saw first hand
how the hops are picked and separated from the vine. “It was surprising
to see how simple the process is, and very neat that they’ve been doing
it that way for decades. My grandfather was a hop farmer years ago, and
some of the methods he employed are still in use to this day,” said
Jordan Tanasse of Backwoods Brewing.
Courtesy of Backwoods Brewing Co |
Brewmaster,
Kevin Waters, said of the collaboration, “One of our favorite things to
do each year is go down to the hop farms. It reminds us why we do what
we do. The sight and smells of the hops are a thing of beauty. Seeing
the origins of the beers that so many people will get to enjoy is very
cool, and being able to share it with the folks at Laughing Planet is
icing on the cake!”
“The
smell and taste of fresh hops is a delight I never expected,” said
Simone, of Laughing Planet. “My beer drinking experience has been
forever changed after getting to see how much attention goes into each
element.”
Courtesy of Backwoods Brewing Co |
The next day, another group of
employees from Laughing Planet traveled out to Backwoods’ production
facility in Stevenson, WA to help brew the beer. Afterwards, pizza and
brews at the pub were enjoyed by all.
The
Citra Fresh Hop IPA will be released at all OR Laughing Planet
locations on Saturday, October 1st. It rings in at 6.5% ABV & 40
IBU, and is only available in draft. We hope you can make it out for
some fresh local food and a super fresh, local IPA!
About Laughing Planet
- The Laughing Planet approach to food is simple and straightforward,
and looks like this: Get healthy, delicious food from the farm to your
plate as quickly as possible, and in the least complicated way. Our menu
offers an abundance of clean, whole foods, tons of fresh veggies, and
surprising global flavors that range from the exotic to the sublime.
We’re mindful of creating dishes that are packed with nutrition, while
still offering maximum flexibility so that you can get exactly what you
want, every single time.
About Backwoods Brewing Company
- Backwoods is located in the heart of the Columbia Gorge, in the small
town of Carson, WA. It was founded by the Waters family in 2012, as a
single-barrel brewpub. They now operate on a 20-barrel system in their
new Stevenson facility, making beer for both draft and package. Their
focus is on balanced beers, such as the hop-forward Logyard IPA, that
isn’t overly bitter on the finish. Backwoods works with local producers
to source their hops, grain and yeast. The brewpub in Carson is open daily, from 11:30 - 9 PM.
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