After making its debut five years ago in 2018, the second edition of the Salmon-Safe IPA Festival returns to Hopworks Brewery on Saturday, April 22, 2023. The IPA festival will feature 20 different beers made with certified Salmon-Safe hops and grain, from 18 brewers across five Western states.
When the festival was first held in 2018, it was created to highlight the importance of a healthy, robust watershed to the brewing industry. The impact is two-fold: challenging brewers to use only Salmon-Safe ingredients in their beers can have a lasting impact on their brewing methods; and educating beer drinkers about the benefits of looking for the Salmon-Safe label on their brews can help create more demand for sustainably brewed beers.
“By sourcing Salmon-Safe hops and malts, the craft breweries at the festival are helping lead a movement towards climate-resilient agriculture that’s protective of Pacific Northwest salmon watersheds,” said Dan Kent, co-founder and executive director of Salmon-Safe. “And when consumers select a beer with the Salmon-Safe label, that inspires additional Northwest grain and hop growers to transition to environmentally innovative farming practices.”
The 2023 Salmon-Safe IPA Fest will take place over two sessions on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22nd. The first session is from Noon-4:00pm and the second session is from 5:00-9:00pm. All IPAs being served at the event are made with Salmon-Safe hops and grains.
Participating breweries include Hopworks, Worthy, Widmer, Migration, Pfriem, Bale Breaker, Crux, Topa Topa, Deschutes, Sunriver, Falling Sky, Aslan/Lost Grove, Steeplejack, Georgetown, Reubens, Little Beast, Oregon Brew Crew, New Belgium and more. The Oregon Brew Crew, an alliance of homebrewers, will also be presenting two beers.
“It’s super-important for brewers and beer lovers to understand the link between fresh beer and fresh water, and it all begins with selecting the right ingredients,” said Hopworks founder Christian Ettinger. “Beer is the perfect platform for enlightened discussion around impact reduction, and this festival is a great reminder that we should all vote with our time and our dollars to support organizations that are working to preserve the land and water around the Pacific Northwest.”
The Salmon-Safe IPA Fest strives to be a zero-waste event. Organizers encourage attendees to participate in a neighborhood cleanup, such as the SOLVE/Hopworks Earth Day Neighborhood Clean Up during the morning, and to travel by bike instead of car, if possible.
Tickets are sold for two separate sessions. From Noon to 4:00 pm, all ages are welcome. From 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, only attendees over the age of 21 will be admitted. A free Salmon-Safe Grower and Brewer panel discussion will take place from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Each ticket comes with a 16-ounce glass tasting mug, and ten tickets for four-ounce tastes of beer. Tickets are $30.00 per person over 21, and are on sale now. $5.00 from each festival ticket sold goes to Oregon Wild to support their work, which ultimately benefits every Oregonian.
“Oregon Wild is honored to be the beneficiary of the Salmon Safe IPA Festival,” said Jonathan Jelen, Oregon Wild’s development director. This generous support will help us be a stronger voice for protecting Oregon’s forests and watersheds – including through a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to advance Wild & Scenic River protections for over 3,200 miles of Oregon’s threatened rivers, creeks, and streams.”
Hopworks Brewery
2944 SE Powell Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.
