It’s Kent Green Hop season where beer is made with fresh, or green, Kentish hops – instead of using hops that have been dried as is more traditional in brewing.
The beers have a characteristic fresh taste because the hops used contain many of the oils that are normally lost when they are dried. The hops are also fresh as they are used within 12 hours of being picked.
GADDS’ Green Hop Ale uses the East Kent Golding hop. Harvested in early September, these hops are freshly plucked and zesty. The 4.8% Green Hop brew gives mouthfuls of crisp, fresh bitterness, balanced by a little biscuity malt, making it a true and distinctive taste of the East Kent harvest.
Gadds Green Hop Day will be held on Saturday, September 16. As always, the ceremonial tapping of the cask will be at 12:30pm, with the first pints served after a brief toast to the wonderful hop growers at Syndale Farm and the annual hop report.
To keep stomachs satisfied, vendor Urban Grillaz will be serving food throughout the day, with veggie/vegan options available too.
From midday, there will be Morris Dancing from Bower Street Morris and at 2pm, after a few pints of Green Hop Ale have been sunk, the inimitable Gaddzukes will take to the stage to perform their ukulele magic until 4pm.
Find the taproom at Hornet Close on Pysons Industrial Estate.
Over in Cliftonville the first crop of hops grown in the Athelstan/Ethelbert alleyway have been harvested this morning (September 14). A total of 0.85kg of hops were weighed by brewery staff and have been donated to the Northdown Brewery at Channel Road Westwood Industrial Estate.
The hop plants were provided by Hop Along Thanet and next year the Athelstan/Ethelbert growers may scale up the number of plants grown.
ARTRA [Athelstan Road Tenants & Residents’ Association] founder Matt Shoul said: “The alleyway is approximately 250m long, so that’s a potential 500m of wall growing space for climbing plants.”
Venues in Thanet for your Green Hop beer
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds) Pysons Road Industrial Estate – September 16, details above
Northdown Brewery, Westwood Industrial Estate – September 30, 2pm-6pm, food, drink and music
The Four Candles, Sowell Street, Broadstairs
Shivering Sands Brewery and Taproom 91 Maple Leaf Business Park Manston
Wantsum Brewery The Kent Barn, St Nicholas Court Farm
Let us know if your venue needs adding to the Green Hop list by emailing [email protected]