Southwest Fresh Fest 2026 Celebrates Colorado Fresh Hop Beer
There’s something different about drinking a fresh hop beer when you’re standing just steps away from where those hops were grown. That connection between the farm, the brewery, and the finished beer is at the center of the Southwest Fresh Fest , which returns to Billy Goat Hop Farm in Montrose, Colorado, on Saturday, October 3, 2026 , for its fifth year. The event brings together breweries from around Colorado for a celebration of one of the most exciting times on the beer calendar: hop harvest. Unlike beers made with dried or pelletized hops later in the year, fresh hop beers are brewed using hops shortly after they are harvested. Timing is everything, and that limited window helps make fresh hop season such an anticipated event for many craft beer drinkers. Beer Straight From the Hop Farm Every beer poured at Southwest Fresh Fest will be brewed using hops from Billy Goat Hop Farm, with hops moving from the bine and into the brewing process during harvest season. That gives this fest...
