'Hop'-ing Around the Net

It's hop harvest season and many breweries are gearing up to release their fresh-hopped ales. As you eagerly await these seasonal releases, here are a few interesting hop-related links that you might enjoy.

• First up, The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article entitled "Hops Farmers Find Growth Business" that reports on a new crop of hop farmers. (Sorry, bad pun.) Current high prices for hops are encouraging some people begin planting hops as a commercial crop. Given the ups and downs of agriculture and the high costs of specialized harvesting equipment, is this a viable investment? Risky perhaps, but craft beer drinkers and brewers will certainly wish these folks well.


• In "Hops processor welcomes 'Dirty Jobs' film crew" the Yakima Herald reports that Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe spent two days picking hops in the Yakima Valley recently. The host took part in all aspects of the harvest process from picking to drying to baling. I look forward to seeing this episode of the show. No air time has been announced.


• Speaking of TV shows, Anthony Bourdain, host of No Reservations, recently filmed a segment at 'Eamonn's, A Dublin Chipper' in Alexandria. It is reported here that "Irish born owner Chef Cathal Armstrong and Bourdain shared Dublin tales, pints of Guinness and Eamonn's signature fish."


• Finally, this is sure to set your mouth watering. Rogue Ales has posted a side show of the Rogue Farms Hop Harvest on Flickr. Not only are these photos gorgeous, but the slide show is informative as well. Even after watching this slide show several times I still drool. I've visited a few hop storage rooms at breweries, but I can only imagine the intense aroma eminating from this processing shed!