Vine to Stein

Love local beer? Mark your calendar for Hop’n Blueberry Farm’s annual Hop Harvest Tour on August 22, which will feature a special ale brewed by Lookout Brewing Company using the farm’s fresh-picked hops. Van’s Wet Hops Front Porch Ale, named for farm owner Van Burnette, “is one of our favorite styles to make because it shows the relationship between the farming world and brewing world,” says John Garcia, Lookout’s head brewer. The beer, he notes, “puts the fresh, wet-hop flavor forward very well.”

Adding fresh, aka wet, hops to a brew delivers more flavor and aroma than traditional dried-hop beers. “The freshness is paramount,” says Garcia. “We prefer our hops to be within four hours of living on the vine.” Conveniently, both farm and brewery are located in Black Mountain, so they’ll be serving up some of the freshest beer the region has to offer.

The tour takes in the hop yard and wildflower plantings, designed to create an inviting habitat for pollinators. The Butterfly Flight House will be open as well, with music and food rounding out the event.

Hop to it
Hop Harvest Tour
August 22, 1-2:30 p.m.; $12
Hop’n Blueberry Farm
24 Middle Mountain Rd., Black Mountain
(828) 664-1166
www.hopnblueberryfarm.com