Mother Earth’s annual fresh hop beer has been a staple since it began in 2011 and was solidified as a bona fide winner in 2017 when it pulled a bronze at the Great American Beer Festival.
Since the original brewery’s humble sourcing of local San Diego County fresh hops to their newer grown-up “Farm-to-Kettle” procurement, the goal is the same – get those hops from the bine to the brewery in the swiftest way possible. Fortunately for Mother Earth, their Idaho brewery affords them proximity to some of the country’s top hop farms, leading to some spectacularly fresh results.
“I think there is a misconception that all fresh hop beers are created equal, when in fact there are varying degrees of freshness. The moment those flowers are collected off the bines, they start oxidizing. Even when handled properly, they still need to be boxed and (hopefully) overnighted to their destination. That’s risky. We don’t have the same issues because we are driving them from the field to the brew kettle in a matter of hours. What that means is that you are getting the freshest product possible, and it shows.”
Chris Baker – Director of Brewing Operations, Mother Earth Brew Co.
Mother Earth’s ‘22 batch of Fresh as it Gets features Citra hops, well known for its Citrus, grapefruit, lime, and tropical fruits notes, which are further intensified when brewed with fresh vs. dried cones. The malt bill, appropriately, is just two grain varieties deep, combined with a neutral ale yeast strain – a perfect combo to lay the foundation for the star of the show – fresh Citra flowers. Fresh as it Gets is available in 16oz cans and on draft at Mother Earth’s Idaho tap rooms and rolls out to distribution over the coming weeks. Not in Idaho? No problem. Use their Beer Finder to search near you at findmotherearthbrewing.com.
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