West Michigan Brewery Tour to Give Rare Glimpse into Hop Harvest Season

Grand Rapids, MI - Late August and early September mark the end of summer and the peak of the hop harvest season.

Of the four main ingredients in craft beer, none of them boast the rabid following of the humulus lupulus, or hops. West Michigan Beer Tours, in collaboration with JW Marriott Grand Rapids, Hop Head Farms, of Hickory Corners, Walldorff Brewpub & Bistro, of Hastings, and Founders Brewing Co., of Grand Rapids, will offer a unique immersion into the exciting season with our Hop Harvest Beer Tour.

Registration for the Hop Harvest Beer Tour will be held from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 29 at the Six.One.Six restaurant inside the JW Marriott Grand Rapids. The bus will depart at noon for Hop Head Farms, a 30-acre farm in Hickory Corners outside of Kalamazoo that is growing and providing hops for breweries all over the country, as well as internationally. Several Michigan breweries will provide samples of their beer using hops from Hop Head Farms to be tasted as part of the unique tour of the hop fields and processing equipment.

"This is a rare opportunity to get a look into what happens to bring our hops to harvest. We do not offer public tours during harvest because of the sheer busyness of the time. We have only a few short weeks to get all of the hops down, picked and dried at their peak maturity. Our facility is the only of it's kind in the United States, German engineered and chosen to handle our hops to result in the best end product," Hop Head Farms co-founder Bonnie Steinman said.

After Hop Head Farms, the bus, with Bonnie Steinman on board to answer questions about hops, heads to the Walldorff Brewpub & Bistro in Hastings where brewer Brett Hammond frequently uses Hop Head Farms hops, including in Walldorff's Harvest Ale. We'll deliver fresh hops to Hammond. Guests will receive samples or a pint, as well as a tour of the production space.

The trip also visits Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids, a frequent collaborator with Hop Head Farms, before returning to the JW Marriott Grand Rapids at approximately 6:30 p.m.

Beer City USA Hotel Packages are also available at the JW Marriott. For more information, contact Brian Behler at brian.behler@jwgr.com or by phone at 616-242-1462.

Tickets for the tour are on sale now. They are $69 for the standard ticket, which includes samples or a pint at Hop Head Farms, Founders and Walldorff, or $85 for premium tickets, which includes everything from the standard ticket as well as a beer at the JW Marriott during registration, a logo'd pint glass from Hop Head Farms and a West Michigan Beer Tours T-shirt.

For more information, go to www.westmichiganbeertours.com/tour.

For more details on upcoming tours, click on the "Tours" tab on our website, westmichiganbeertours.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and TripAdvisor.

West Michigan Beer Tours was founded by John Liberty and Aric Faber in 2013. The company offers public and private guided tours to the many breweries in one of the best craft beer regions in the world. We specialize in private tours for corporations, organizations, associations, conferences or a group of friends or family members. We offer tours to the area's breweries, as well as craft beer friendly bars, restaurants and events. Utilizing our connections in the industry, we provide a fun, educational and responsible way to enjoy The Great Beer State. You can read more about us at westmichiganbeertours.com.

Since 1917, the West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA) has worked to market the very best of West Michigan to travelers. Covering the entire west side of Michigan from the Indiana border to Mackinac Island, WMTA presents information on the best attractions, lodging, events, and activities in West Michigan. For more information on this non-profit organization, visit WMTA.org.