Yakima Chief Hops has been an important partner in Ales for ALS™ since the program began, working with Loftus Ranches to donate a unique hop blend that participating brewers use to create beers benefiting ALS research at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI).
This past summer, YCH gave participating brewers another special opportunity: the chance to win one of two registrations to its
Hop & Brew School in Yakima, Washington. Chris Bruder, the Head Brewer at Oden Brewing in Greensboro, NC, was one of the lucky winners, earning the opportunity to learn from industry experts, connect with fellow brewers, and bring new ideas back to Oden Brewing.
Here, Chris shares a bit about his experience at YCH Hop and Brew School:
It was late on a Friday, after a long week of brewing for our busiest season at Oden Brewing, when I got a text from Mike Shannon, [the Executive Director of the Ales for ALS™ program.] I had been awarded a scholarship to Yakima Chief's annual Hop & Brew school; could I get there? Yes!
The days leading up to my departure were a blur of activity, ensuring everything was set in the brewery before I left. Two plane rides and a few hours of driving later, I checked into the hotel and hopped on a shuttle to the welcome party at Bale Breaker Brewing. They were fantastic hosts with delicious beer.
Experiencing everything at Hop & Brew School over the next three days made my face sore from smiling and turned my brain into a wrung-out sponge in the most amazing and life-changing way. I felt like my nose was literally packed full of fresh hops, my mind was filled with exciting new concepts about hops, and my circle of friends and industry peers expanded like a galaxy...not the hop.
Beyond the new relationships and knowledge, my favorite part was visiting the hop farms spread across the Yakima Valley: Carpenter Ranches, Perrault Farms, and Sauve and Son Farm. The tiny green pellets that make beer taste so good start as baby clones in Yakima Chief Rancher's greenhouses and grow into acres of hop-cone-heavy, verdant vines on strings. Following the life cycle from nursery to field to facilities where pellets and concentrates are produced was magical. I achieved one of my lifetime goals by witnessing this process, shaking the hands of the workers who tend to the hops, and asking them all my questions.
I am so grateful to the Oden Brewing family for the connection we've built with Ales for ALS™ over the years and the opportunity it gave me to attend this event. Thank you, Mike, and thank you, Yakima Chief Hops, for hosting such a great and educational event. I'll be watching for interesting classes offered at future Hop & Brew Schools and heading back there when I can.
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