Something's Brewing -- Who says there are no breweries here?

The Yakima Valley is the major producer of hops in the United States. So people naturally wonder why we don't have many breweries here. We have a lot of wineries but few breweries; with all of the hops grown in the area, it makes no sense to them.

The biggest factor: Grapes grown at the winery or close by make up the entire bottle of wine. Hops, on the other hand, are just a small part of the brewing process. Malt is a much larger ingredient. We used to say in the industry that the cost of hops in a bottle of beer was about the same as the cost of the bottle cap. To put it another way, hops are to beer what salt and pepper is to a steak. So, while hops are a crucial ingredient in brewing, a brewery doesn't need to be very close to where hops are grown.

In Yakima, we've had a few breweries in our history. The first brewpub to be opened in the U.S. in recent times was Bert Grant's. He started the pub in downtown Yakima and had a good run. Bert was quite the character; he died a few years back. I miss talking and having a beer with him. The craft-brew community considers him a true pioneer in the resurgence of brewing.

Many people think Grant's was the only brewery in the area. In fact, we have quite a few within a 60-mile radius. We have one right here in Yakima, the Yakima Craft Brewing Co. It was founded by Jeff Winn and Chris Swedin in 2007 and had its first official beer sales in early 2008.

Winn was in senior management in Portland when, on his 40th birthday, he decided he wanted to start a brewery. He looked around for a place to brew and had in-laws here in Yakima. The rest is history. Swedin had worked at Grant's for many years and the two met through New Vision in Yakima.

They bought some of Grant's old brewing equipment, including his original copper kettle. It's a three-barrel system, which equates to about 110 gallons per brew. This is small equipment if you want to grow -- even by craft-brewing standards. Their yearly output is continuing to grow, and they're looking to buy larger equipment. Last year, they brewed 512 barrels of beer and they appear to be brewing over 600 barrels this year. About 80 percent of the beer sold is in draft form, the remaining 20 percent in 22-ounce bottles. They have expanded out of the Yakima Valley and now have sales throughout Washington and in parts of Idaho.

An interesting part of their brewing process is that they only use U.S.-grown hops. When I started in the hop business in 1978, there were only five varieties being grown; today it's probably closer to 30. All breweries are looking at hops, malt and yeast to give their beers distinct flavors and aromas.

Winn and Swedin sell five main beers that use different hops:

* Pale ale is made with Palisade hops and is 5 percent alcohol by volume.

* 1982 is an amber ale and is their best seller in the Yakima Valley. It uses Cascade hops.

* IPA is a best seller on the west side of the mountains and is considered to be a well-balanced IPA. By "balance" we mean the amount of malt versus the amount of hops. This beer got an A-plus from Beer Advocate magazine. The two main hops used are Simcoe and Cascade.

* Vern is also an IPA, but the balance goes to the hops side and is more like a traditional Northwest-style IPA. It uses Galena and Citra hops.

* Twin Stag is a dark Scottish ale and is somewhere between a robust porter and a sweet stout. Yakima Golding is the primary hop used for this beer.

Yakima Craft is at 2920 River Road; it does have a small pub where folks can try out these beers. Just follow the signs when you get there or call 509-654-7357. They also have a website with lots of good information at www.yakimacraftbrewing.com.

There are other great breweries in our area and they will be the subject of future columns. The main thing to do is to get out and visit these local breweries. You will be rewarded with some good-tasting beer and can receive knowledge on how beer is made. I always say beer making is a form of cooking. It only has four main ingredients: hops, malt, yeast and water. Sounds simple, but the combinations are infinite. There is no end to the many beer styles one can enjoy.

* Ralph Olson spent more than three decades in the hop business and is an avid fan of beer and brewing. If there are beer-related questions you'd like him to address, email him at ralph.olson@me.com.