Deschutes and Harpoon have teamed up to brew EHOP, a hearty amber ale!

Deschutes and Harpoon are ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) breweries meaning they are locally owned by the workers, not some faceless large corporation.

EHOP relates to employee grown hops.  The same employees that own the brewery are also growing hops so it’s another level of Vermont-ness you’re supporting when you buy this delicious beer.

EHOP is great beer for fall – it’s inviting deep hue matches VT’s amazing foliage, the warming robust maltiness is perfect for those who want a seasonal beer but don’t want an Oktoberfest or pumpkin beer.

Get this one while you can and share with friends during Halloween or stock up and save some for Thanksgiving!

There are so many reasons to buy and enjoy EHOP, you may want to try a beer with a Deschutes connection, you may want to support an important VT brewery, or you just may want a tasty seasonal beer.  No reason is wrong for you to pop in and grab a bottle of EHOP while available!

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series EHOP Collaboration | Robust Amber Ale | 8% ABV | $5.89

From harpoonbrewery.com:

     It was a little over a year ago at this time that Harpoon became an employee-owned brewery. It was an exciting time – and somewhat overwhelming. What does employee ownership mean and how will it affect the way we work? How will things change at the brewery? Can we finally purchase that Jetstream we’ve always wanted? (The answer to that last question is “no”).

     Thankfully, we had friends who had gone down the Employee Ownership path before us. After news broke of the Harpoon ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), our friends and fellow brewery employee-owners at the Deschutes Brewery were among the first to reach out and welcome us to the club. They became an invaluable resource for us as we began to navigate our way into the new world of employee ownership.

     It didn’t take long for us to decide to brew a beer together. And that’s just what we’re doing here today. Deschutes brewer Ryan Schmiege traveled to Boston from Bend, OR to join Harpoon brewer Ethan Elston in brewing this collaboration; a beer that celebrates employee ownership and brewing independence. We’re not ready to give all the details away quite yet – but if you guessed that the recipe might contain employee-grown hops and local spices, you just may be on to something… In any event, we couldn’t let today pass without letting you all know about this great collaboration that’s brewing as we speak.

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     In 2014 we became employee owned and our friends from Deschutes Brewery were among the first to welcome us to the ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) club. They became an invaluable resource for us as we began to navigate our way into the new world of employee ownership. As you can imagine, it didn’t take long for us to decide to brew a beer together.

     Two versions of the EHOP beer will be released: one brewed at our brewery in Boston and the other brewed at Deschutes in Bend, Oregon. Harpoon brewer Ethan Elston and Deschutes brewer Ryan Schmiege collaborated on both recipes. While each beer is unique, both recipes include employee-grown hops (EHOPs). The hops, along with locally sourced sage and thyme, create a full bodied amber ale that has a malty sweetness and a lingering spiciness. Both versions will be bottled and kegged for a release in Mid-Late October. Cheers to craft brewing independence!

Tasting Notes

• Appearance:  Dark red in color, nice and bright
• Aroma:  A nice malty aroma with the most subtle of sage and thyme notes and a wisp of hoppiness
• Mouth feel:  Full bodied, well carbonated, relatively heavy
• Taste:  Nice dark malt sweetness with a spicy and hoppy background
• Finish:  An exciting spiciness on the tongue offset by warm maltiness.