Jet Harvest

Jet Harvest Fresh Hop IPA brewed in collaboration with @balebreaker @yakimachief @loftusranches and @alaskaair

Wet hop beers offer a special chance to work with hop farmers during their annual harvest to brew with freshly picked hops as they come off the bine. To do so, we’re usually restricted to farms within driving distance, but thanks to our partners on this project, we had farm fresh whole cone sticky hops in our brewery that were harvested in the fertile crescent of hop farming, the Yakima Valley of Washington, less than 24 hours before.

Thanks to Yakima Chief, expertly grown Simcoe that enjoyed a full season of arid sunshine winding their way up the trellis at Loftus Ranches were made available so our friends at Bale Breaker brewery could show right in the heart of their pick window, collect, and get them to an Alaska Airlines flight to Ohare. We drove to cargo and quickly grabbed them in time to soak in a warm brew and extract the essential qualities found no other way. Simcoe celebrates 25 years in 2025, and holds a special place in our hearts as we’ve relied on this hop more than any other since we started brewing Half Acre beer.

This was a one shot deal that relied on incredible amounts of communication, coordination and heaps of extra work. A big thank you to all those that took part, and especially to the brew team that remain in it and up to find ways to share beer’s finest details.

When you sit down to a proper pint of this beer, you’ll be met with a west coast ripper ripe with needling, layered hop character.  You might not make it to Yakima for harvest, but you can make a few of these disappear and you’ll surely feel the sunshine.