Vancouver, Whistler & Vancouver Island - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 871

Today, beer aficionados (otherwise known as beer geeks) sip and savor beer as they
would wine, and some urban restaurants have beer 'programs', 'sommeliers' and cellars.
Many brewpubs and restaurants host beer dinners, a chance to experience unique beers
paired with multiple courses. But the heart of Northwest beer culture still rests inside the
basic brewpub, a place where beers are brewed on site - which means you're drinking
them straight from the source.
Stroll through a local grocery store to see the scope of what local brewers are produ-
cing, or ask locals where to go out for a craft beer. Chance are you're near a brewpub,
even in tiny towns such as Twisp, WA, and Baker City, OR. When visiting larger craft
breweries, ask about upcoming tours or tasting events.
HOP TO IT
Every August, fragrant and sticky green hop cones - the flowers of the hop plant -
reach maturity. During the hop harvest, which lasts just a few weeks, farmers strip
the cones from the bines and dry almost all of them. The hops will eventually add
bitterness and nuanced aromas and flavors to beers around the world.
Some farmers pull aside fresh undried hops for local brewers, who personally
drive trucks to hop farms to pick up the crop, the defining ingredient in 'fresh-hop'
beers. These beers are special: they can't be made in other parts of the country, as
fresh hops must be added to a beer-in-progress within 24 hours of being picked.
And they capture the bright and lively essence of a plant that defines Northwest
beers.
Check out some of the region's best fresh-hop festivals in the fall to taste the
range of beers made during harvest: Yakima's Fresh Hop Ale Festival, Hood River's
Hops Fest and Portland's Fresh Hops Fest at Oaks Amusement Park.
Coffee
The Northwest's progressive coffee culture was born in 1971, when Starbucks opened its
first location across from Pike Place Market in Seattle. The idea, to offer a variety of
roasted beans from around the world in a comfortable cafe, helped start filling the Amer-
ican coffee mug with more refined, complicated (and expensive) drinks compared to the
ubiquitous Folgers and diner cups of joe. Specialty coffeehouses started springing up in
Seattle and Portland during the 1980s, the foundation of today's burgeoning coffee cul-
ture.
Today, you can find not only Starbucks on every corner in the Northwest (and USA,
and abroad!), but also hundreds of independently owned coffeehouses. Coffeehouse cul-
ture in the Pacific Northwest encourages lingering; think free wi-fi, comfortable indoor