#persephonebrewing

Hop picking is in my blood. My ancestors were farmers who lived and worked on a hop farm, called Clinches Farm at the time, in Fowle Hall, Kent and where the original Oast house still stands today. So I was only too pleased to put my heritage into practice and respond to a call for volunteers to help with the harvest at Persephone Brewing on the Sunshine Coast this past Sunday. 

What better way to get to know a brewery than to pick with the staff, their friends, family and neighbours and other beer lovers from the region. The bounty was plentiful this year due to a hot summer. We picked centennial and cascade - the cascade being larger and having a stronger floral and citrusy aroma. Much of the harvest is going into a fresh hop IPA as early as Monday while the rest will find their way into some of their regulars like the American Pale Ale.

We were well taken care of with samples of beer and a taste of the ‘off the grid’ wood oven pizza made from local farm ingredients which we enjoyed in the cozy tasting room equipped with games of chess and crokinole.

Hop picking brings a community together and it was special to be part of this traditional process which, as they expand their acreage, may soon be a thing of the past as they will need more expedient methods to harvest in the short time required.

Look out for the fresh hop IPA at the end of the month and know that the hops were hand-picked with love by a community of great people. We look forward to tasting the fruits of our labour.