So you say you’re a hophead? Your blood type is lupulin-positive and when it comes to selecting a beer from a bar’s tap-list, the only question is which IPA it’s going to be. We see you, and more importantly we can relate with you. It’s why we’re interrupting your regularly scheduled San Diego-based beer reporting with news about a destination that you, a lover of the botanical lending poignant aromas and flavors to your favorite beers, would love to visit. This hallowed locale is the Yakima Valley.
Nestled in the heart of Washington, it is the point of origin for roughly 75% of U.S. hops (and a third of the world’s annual yield). Not surprisingly, the region’s breweries specialize in hop-forward ales and lagers. While anytime of year is prime for enjoying their liquid wares, visiting between late August and early October is highly recommended. That’s hop harvest season, the time when brewers from across the globe converge on Yakima Valley, intent on securing the finest batches of Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe and other hop varietals coaxed from the soil by multigenerational hop-farming families.
To visit during harvest season is to experience the valley at its largest and liveliest. Not only do the local breweries and beer-centric bars tap the best they have to offer – including more fresh-hop beers than you’ll find in any one place – but you may very well find yourself downing pints of those aromatic wonders in the midst of legendary brewers whose degrees of hop infatuation match your own.
Join us as we take you on a quick tour of Yakima Valley’s breweries and taprooms, while sharing info on a pair of hallmark beer festivals and top lodging spots, ensuring you’ll be able to make the most of your visit to this agricultural epicenter.
STANDOUT BREWERIES
Bale Breaker Brewing
1801 Birchfield Road, Yakima
It was 2013 when the family behind Loftus Ranches hop farm went from supplying the beer industry with one of its most essential ingredients to opening their own brewery. Today, a visit to Bale Breaker Brewing’s extensive outdoor patio to enjoy beers brewed with estate-grown hops is a quintessential experience for beer-loving visitors to Yakima Valley. It’s a unique opportunity to take in pints along with lovely views of flourishing fields of hop bines, and truly immerse oneself in the region’s rich, storied farming and fermentation cultures.
Bale Breaker’s taproom features 16 taps of house beers (plus wine, cider and non-alcoholic beverages). Those almost exclusively hoppy creations range from piney, pithy flagship beers, Topcutter IPA and Field 41 Yakima Pale Ale, to Bottomcutter Imperial IPA, a namesake Pilsner and the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) medal-winning Daybreak Pale. Seasonals and specialties from Bale Breaker’s “Imagination Station” (a five-barrel pilot system precisely mirroring the company’s 30-barrel brewhouse) also abound, including a rotating line of hazy IPAs and, come harvest season, scads of wet-hop beers and collaborations with visiting breweries, including an annual joint-creation with Northern Californian hoppy-beer powerhouse Russian River Brewing that’s always met with rave reviews.
Single Hill Brewing
102 North Naches Avenue, Yakima
In 2012, Zach Turner moved on from Colorado’s Odell Brewing to travel abroad and learn about hops. He later took a job as Technical Solutions Director for Hopunion (which is now Yakima Chief Hops). That move brought him to Yakima, where he instantly fell in love with its small-town charm and agricultural bounty, enough that in 2017 he co-founded Single Hill Brewing in the city’s downtown area. It has since grown into a point of pride among locals behind award-winning beers and a taproom that’s spacious, inviting and includes in-house java offshoot Catalyst Coffee.
Hoppy beers are at the forefront at Single Hill, with cores like the citrusy Eastside West Coast IPA, piney Greenway Pale Ale, and seasonal 100% fresh-hop beers made with pellets processed on-site. But the beer list goes beyond hops-driven styles, with lagers of all origins and hues, including an American Pilsner that struck gold at the 2026 World Beer Cup competition, as well as a variety of kettle-sours, one of which is a Gose brewed with a house sourdough culture. Tap space is also allotted for dark ales, ranging from a session-strength porter to imperial and barrel-aged stouts. That something-for-everyone brand of variety is appropriate for a brewery built to bring people together.
Cowiche Creek Brewing
514 Thompson Road, Building #2, Cowiche
Taking a drive from downtown Yakima into unincorporated territory may seem like odd directions for those in search of a brewery experience, but a visit to Cowiche Creek Brewing is anything but an everyday brewery experience. Rather than descending upon a nondescript industrial structure, guests take a farmland road up a hill to discover a barn that’s been converted into a cozy kitchen and tap giving way to lush, green expanses with plenty of picnic-table seating where guests can savor good times and even better countryside views with a house beer in hand.
Cowiche Creek’s tap list includes the Citra dry-hopped Fickle Blonde, single-hop Farmer Way IPA, a low-alcohol hazy IPA called Mini Dog (with a higher-ABV counterpart dubbed Tynamite) and just one dark beer, I Caved Oatmeal Stout. They are worth the westerly trek every bit as much as the wholesome hand-crafted food that has become this destination’s calling card. An eclectic menu includes USDA Prime burgers like the “Smoke Jumper” (buckboard bacon, blistered jalapeño and Tillamook smoked cheddar), shrimp and grits, an assortment of wings, and farm-grown items like heirloom tomatoes with burrata and red shishito peppers dressed in savory Korean kalbi sauce.
Varietal Beer Co.
416 East Edison Avenue, Sunnyside
Small businesses are considered the heart of many small towns, and Sunnyside’s is beating strong and steady behind an eight-year-old brewery and taproom referred to many residents as the easterly hamlet’s “living room.” Founded in 2018, Varietal Beer Co. was originally planned as an all-wild-beer operation, but ownership made a hard pre-open pivot and now leans heavily into the hoppy side, perpetually celebrating the fruit of the bine with more than a dozen botanically bolstered beers available at all times. Those IPAs and other hopped-up styles are the handiwork of Head Brewer Chris Baum, who brewed at Bale Breaker for two years while constructing his own business.
IPA-lovers who make the trip out to Varietal will never be disappointed, but during harvest season the beer menu goes from impressive to insane, with fresh-hop numbers abounding. The key to being able to stock so many is Baum’s longstanding relationships with local hop farmers, from smaller spots like Loza Farms to larger operations like CLS Farms. Aptly enough, Varietal sometimes beta-tests new varietals and hop-based products, with the resultant beers going on tap so patrons can get in on the experimentation. And if you need a break from all the IBUs, fret not, this spot also brews clean, thirst-slaking lagers.
OTHER BREWERIES & BEER-CENTRIC BARS
The city of Yakima is home to another pair of breweries, the first of which is on the north side of town and goes by the name Valley Brewing (3215 River Road). Specializing in IPAs both clear and hazy with some other styles thrown in for good measure (cream ale, Mexican lager, porter), it has partnered with local food vendor Fromburgers to offer guests a hearty food option. Then there’s hockey-themed 5th Line Brewing (1015 East Lincoln Avenue, Ste 106), which respects both the players and the game from a tasting room lined with hockey jerseys that is stocked with pales, IPAs and occasional German and U.K. styles. “In-house deliciousness” includes house-made pizzas, nachos, quesadillas and…nachodillas!
Just up State Route 823 in Selah are two breweries just a short walk from one another. The Outskirts Brewing (707 Test Drive Lane) is a brewpub offering a rainbow-hue selection of beers (Pilsner, IPA, Irish stout), wine and cocktails, plus a lengthy menu of apps, handhelds and dishes like fish and chips and a rice bowl. Meanwhile, seven-year-old Selah Springs Brewing present a casual food menu with a trio of beers brewed using a vintage copper kettle. Heading southeast on Interstate 82 will take tourists to the town of Zillah and Wandering Hop (260 North Bonair Road), a nine-year-old business that was founded in Yakima in 2017. Ownership later expanded, opening its current “WAnderland Brewery” location before moving all of its operations there a few years back. Headed west en route to Mount Rainier, travelers can stop off at Naches’ Bron Yr Aur Brewing (12160 US-12), a family-run beer company (that has since opened a distilling arm) which started out as a restaurant founded around a beer-infused pizza crust in 2013. Its beer list includes a GABF bronze-winning porter and various malt-heavy styles…but no core IPA? Further west in Tieton, there’s Yakima Valley’s newest addition, Shorthead Brewing (100 North Tieton Road). Founded in 2024, it’s made early fans of the area’s brewers behind a fun motif and portfolio that includes various IPAs, assorted lagers (German, Japanese, Mexican, Vienna) and more.
Back in Yakima, numerous beer-focused bars provide even more options for out-of-town travelers looking for a taste of local ales and lagers. Recently relocated from downtown to Wandering Hop’s former facility, The Den (508 North 20th Avenue, Yakima) is a mom-and-pop business decorated with breweriana galore. In addition to local draft beers, a to-go beer fridge is stocked with bottles and cans from out-of-town breweries. Out on the western outskirts of town, The Kiln (815 South 72nd Avenue, Yakima) curates an 18-tap list of beers covering a wide variety of styles, while serving up piping-hot, perfectly charred pizzas ranging from the traditional (pepperoni, veggie, Margherita) to fun (chevre and apple with balsamic, bacon and pineapple with IPA barbecue sauce). Focaccia sandwiches (Cuban, chicken pesto, Buffalo chicken), salads and shareables (wings, hummus, beer cheese dip) round out the bill of fare. Then there’s the dual locations of Public House of Yakima (East: 171 Iron Horse Court, Yakima; West: 5703 Tieton Drive, Yakima) which combine to present 120 taps’ worth of largely Pacific Northwest beers and beverages, along with a casual menu that includes sharable apps (charcuterie, Bavarian pretzels, nachos), salads, sandwiches and flatbreads.
BEER-CENTRIC EVENTS
Fresh Hop Ale Festival: Each October, as fresh-hop beers make their way from fermentation tanks to taps, Allied Arts of Yakima throws the region’s largest festival of the year. That Saturday soiree brings together more than 60 Pacific Northwest brewing companies, as well as wineries, cideries and food vendors, to serve their specialty items against the backdrop of live music, with a portion of proceeds from the event supporting local arts and science organizations. | State Fair Park, 1301 South Fair Avenue, Yakima
Moxee Hop Festival: Can’t wait until the tail end of harvest season to get into festival mode. No problem. The hop-growing hotbed of Moxee gets in the spirit in August. Put on annually by the East Valley Community Enhancement Association, this three-day affair goes beyond beer to celebrate the spirit of Moxee residents with family-friendly entertainment and activities, including a fun run, parade and a variety of games. And, oh yeah, there’s beer! | Moxee City Park, South Rivard Road, Moxee
RECOMMENDED LODGING
Conveniently located in downtown Yakima, the Hilton Garden Inn (401 East Yakima Avenue) has long been the place brewing industry professionals rest their weary heads in between visits to the city’s array of hop suppliers. It gets the job done, but if you are traveling with a group or just prefer more square-footage, Ledgestone Suites Hotel Yakima (107 North Fair Avenue, Yakima) will fit the bill. Bonus, it’s footsteps away from 5th Line Brewing and offers easy access to Interstate 82.