10/11/2026
Hop selection season brought our brewing crew to Yakima, Washington! 🌱🍻
Brewmaster Don Oliver, Head Brewer Jay Keane, and Brewer Brett Skrbec spent three days experiencing hop harvest firsthand, touring farms and production facilities, and selecting hops for future Dust Bowl brews.
During their time in Yakima, the crew visited Hopsteiner, HAAS, and Yakima Chief Hops. They evaluated hops from different farms, comparing aromas and selecting their favorite lots at all three stops. According to our brewers, this was one of the best hop years they’ve seen in some time, making for some tough decisions with so many great lots to choose from!
While at Hopsteiner, the crew selected Apollo and Columbus hops, along with some wonderful Eureka. Dust Bowl Brewing also had the honor of being chosen to brew a hop-selection-exclusive b**r. The result was a Strong pale ale called Captain Rogers Flavor Ship, which was served exclusively during hop selection, giving brewers from around the world a chance to sample what we do here at Dust Bowl.
While at HAAS, we had the pleasure of touring their beautiful in-house brewery with Max. We discussed some of their upcoming hop products and learned how they trial them in a brewing environment on-site.
The team’s final stop was Yakima Chief Hops, where they had their largest selection day. They evaluated Mosaic, Simcoe, Cascade, Columbus, and Citra hops. The day also included a visit to Perrault Farms, where Cody gave the crew a great tour. We had the opportunity to visit one of their hop fields and production yards, getting an up-close look at the process from harvest through processing.
The crew also toured the pellet production facility at Yakima Chief Hops. A special shout-out to Anthony for showing our crew around this impressive facility!
Along the way, the crew connected with brewers from throughout the industry and got an even closer look at the people, places, and hard work behind the hops that eventually make their way into our b**rs. 🍻
