BJ’s Brewhouse taps its limited-release Field Day Fresh-Hop IPA today at all locations, including the ones in Chandler and Mesa.
Last month, the chain’s brewers handpicked 70 pounds of Columbus and Chinook hops near Clearlake, Calif., then drove them to BJ’s Reno brewery, where a special batch of IPA had just finished fermenting.
Although “dry hopping” – adding hops after fermentation – isn’t new, it’s often done with processed hop pellets rather than fresh hop cones. And when fresh hop cones are used, they’re typically from whole vines on which some hops are ripe and some aren’t.
By hand-picking only the ripest hops on each vine and dry hopping the beer the same day, BJ’s produces an 6.5% ABV IPA that’s perhaps the freshest you’ll ever taste – if you get there soon.
