Fresh Hop Beer Toolkit
Craft Brewers Conference: Educational Session
The Fresh Hop Beer Toolkit:
Brewing, Logistics, and Consumer Insights
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 - 10:30-11:30 am
Ballroom B
Fresh-hopped beers are among the most distinctive seasonal offerings in the craft beer industry, delivering intense, vibrant aromas and flavors while evoking a strong connection to the hop harvest.
A practical, brewer-focused playbook for getting the most out of fresh hops with firsthand perspectives from growers, brewers, and researchers, covering everything from hot-side vs. cold-side applications to storage and shipping logistics. We'll share lessons learned from a brewing trial with four Oregon craft breweries, and data on what drinkers actually notice, prefer, and expect from a fresh hop beer.
After the session, we've also scheduled some booth time with our partners,
so that we can continue the Fresh Hop conversation:
Tues, April 21 - 11:45 am-1:00 pm
Yakima Chief Hops - booth #901
Tues, April 21 - 3:00-5:00 pm
Indie Hops - booth #926
Join us for the “We 💚 Oregon Hoppy Hour”
Session Speakers
Jeff Alworth
Executive Director, Celebrate Oregon Beer
Matt Cole
Co-Founder & Brewmaster,
Fat Heads Brewery
Ben Edmunds
Brewmaster, Breakside Brewery
Dr. Thomas Shellhammer
Professor, Oregon State University
Garrett Weaver
Program Manager, Coleman Agriculture
Thank you for your interest in
Fresh Hops and Fresh Hop Beer!
We’d love to hear from you and keep you updated, if you wish.
Want to learn more about hop harvesting? Download our