Southwest Fresh Fest offers freshest beer anywhere

By Jay McKinney

The Southwest Fresh Fest (say that three times fast) is returning for its fourth year. It takes place from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Billy Goat Hop Farm in Montrose.

As the name suggests, the highlight of the event is the showcasing of fresh hop beers. These beers are made with hops that are picked straight off the vine and go into the brew within 24 hours of brewing, as opposed to being dried and pelletized. The breweries that attend are required to serve a fresh hop beer and they can also bring a second seasonal beer if they choose.

“You can only make a fresh hop beer during harvest and it's a direct tie to the brewing industry and the agriculture industry, which I think a lot of times, not just with beer, but food in general, that connection gets lost,” says Audrey Gehlhausen, co-founder of Billy Goat Hop Farm. Last year’s festival featured roughly 15 breweries and Gehlhausen expects a similar number this year.

Guests of the festival get a taster glass upon entry and can vote on the best fresh hop beer. The brewery that wins over the crowd with the best fresh hop beer gets to take home an eye-catching copper trophy of a hop to proudly display for an entire year. Like the Stanley Cup of the NHL, the same trophy is passed from winner to winner each year.

For those interested in learning the ins and outs of running a hop farm, Gehlhausen offers a tour during the festival. On the tour, she teaches guests about the science of growing hops and shows the various pieces of equipment used for harvesting the little buds behind every sip of beer.

Gehlhausen and her partner Chris Della Bianca run every aspect of the 32-acre hop farm. From fixing equipment and building trellises to marketing and sales, they are passionate about what they do. The duo sells hops directly to breweries rather than through distributors and they have accounts in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Massachusetts and Colorado. Some breweries in Colorado that use Billy Goat hops include Stronghouse Brew Pub in Telluride, Base Camp Beer Works in Grand Junction, Stodgy Brewing Company in Fort Collins and others.

Of the seven varieties that are grown on the farm, Cascade and Chinook hops make up the majority. In 2023, Billy Goat notably became the first farm outside of Oregon and Washington to win the Cascade Cup, a national competition where beers made with Cascade hops are blind tasted and judged. Then in 2024, they won again and became the first farm to win in back-to-back years.

The Southwest Fresh Fest is the farm’s way of celebrating how amazing this plant can be. It costs $30 for tickets ($35 if purchased the day of) and $15 ($20 if purchased the day of) for designated drivers who won’t be participating in the tasting. Kids aged 12 and under can get in free, and dogs and goats are also welcome.

If you’re interested in the festival but can’t make it, don’t fret. The Billy Goat Hop Farm is welcoming year-round. New this year is a campground on the farm that is available seven days a week and equipped with hot showers and flush toilets. Another opportunity are the Fridays on The Farm events, which are held throughout the summer from 4 to 9 p.m. through Oct. 3.

“We reach out to the breweries who we work with and buy beer from them and then we have that for sale along with a food truck, live music, yard games and fantastic views of the San Juan Mountains,” Gehlhausen says. “And again, you're right there at the hop yard.”