Hundreds of festivalgoers voted for their favorites from among the 20 beers brewed with Salmon-Safe certified fresh hops at the Hood River Orchard and Ale Festival on Saturday, on the banks of the Columbia River. The voting was part of the nonprofit Salmon-Safe’s Drinker’s Choice Competition, highlighting beers brewed with hops from Salmon-Safe certified farms. Over 40% of the festival’s beers were made with Salmon-Safe certified hops, and the number of Salmon-Safe beers entered in the competition increased 18% from the prior year. Today it was announced that the crowd’s favorite beer was “Bountiful IPA,” a Gluten Free, fruited IPA brewed by Evasion Brewery in McMinnville, Oregon, featuring fresh Mosaic hops and Biscuit and Crystal rice for the grains.
“The two things I have done most of my life are fish and brew beer,” said Josh Gordon, co-owner of Evasion Brewing. “When I am not brewing, I am always trying to get out on the river, and anything I can do to support healthy salmon populations like brewing with Salmon Safe hops is important to me and the brewery.”
The Hood River Orchard and Ale Fest welcomed around 2,000 people to the festival last weekend. Attendees were able to sample beers brewed with hyper-seasonal fresh hops and celebrate regional craft beer and ciders made with Pacific Northwest hops and fruit. The festival welcomed Salmon-Safe as an additional partner for the second year in a row to bring awareness to sustainably grown hops sourced from Salmon-Safe Certified Farms. Also back for the second year was Salmon-Safe’s Drinker’s Choice Fresh Hop Beer Competition, designed to encourage drinker and brewer awareness of hop growers applying Salmon-Safe’s standards.
“These standards help to protect the rivers and streams that wild fish need to thrive, but they also support farm resiliency,” said Michelle McGrath, Columbia Basin Program Director for Salmon-Safe. “It’s hugely impactful for the region’s watersheds when a brewery selects Salmon-Safe certified hops. That’s what we’re promoting with this competition.”
Festival organizer Lee Perry of Field Guide Events agrees that the partnership between the festival and Salmon-Safe makes sense. “Fresh hops and salmon are both icons of the Pacific Northwest. Celebrating Salmon-Safe Certified fresh hops at the festival is such a fun way to highlight the synergy between two. We’re glad to be a host to the competition,” said Perry.
The Mosaic hops in Evasion Brewing’s winning beer were grown by Coleman Agriculture in the Willamette Valley, a longstanding Salmon-Safe certified farm. The certification means Coleman Agriculture’s hops are grown using practices that protect water quality. These include reducing pesticide use through integrated pest management, conserving habitat and biodiversity, preventing erosion, and using water efficiently.
“Seeing the insects, birds, deer, and other wildlife that call our farms home reinforces why stewardship matters," said seventh-generation farmer Max Coleman of Coleman Agriculture. "Salmon-Safe’s peer-reviewed standards give us a framework for protecting biodiversity and caring for the land while growing award-winning hops.”
The full results of Salmon-Safe’s 2026 Drinker’s Choice Fresh Hop Beer Competition were:
1st Place: Bountiful IPA (fruited IPA) by Evasion Brewing in McMinnville, Oregon featuring fresh Mosaic hops, grown by Coleman Agriculture (Salmon-Safe Certified).
2nd Place: The 12 Dreams of Doctor Sardonicus (Baltic Porter) Barsideous Brewing in Lebanon, Oregon featuring Cascade, Nugget, Tettanger and Mandarina Bavaria hops from Crosby Hops Estate (Salmon-Safe Certified).
3rd Place: Fill Your Cup IPA (Soft IPA) by Kings and Daughters Brewery in Hood River, Oregon featuring Chinook hops from Coleman Agriculture (Salmon-Safe Certified).
Other than bragging rights, what is the prize for the winning breweries? All three will be receiving wild Alaskan salmon, with Evasion Brewing taking the top prize of a full year’s supply. The salmon is sourced from Bristol Bay, the healthiest salmon stock in the world.
“When we protect salmon, we get to responsibly enjoy it as part of our diet. It’s part of the goal. Well, my goal anyway. I love salmon!” said McGrath.
Salmon-Safe was founded by Pacific Rivers in 1997, Salmon-Safe is a nonprofit environmental certification program that has worked with Northwest hop growers since 2007 to farm in a way that protects local watersheds and the cool, clean water that salmon need to thrive. Thanks to forward thinking hop farmers, many local beers are made with hops or malt grown according to Salmon-Safe standards. Learn more at salmonsafe.org.
Evasion Brewing is a family-run, craft brewery in McMinnville, Oregon. Evasion Brewing is a dedicated Gluten Free, all grain brewery that features US-sourced malted Millet and Rice. Evasion offers a wide variety of core and seasonal beer styles from light lagers to imperial stouts, aiming to give all beer drinkers something to savor and enjoy. Come visit and taste their award-winning beers at one of their two locations. Learn more at evasionbrewing.com.
Coleman Agriculture is a seventh-generation family farm in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, rooted in fertile ground and shaped by centuries of hands-on experience. They see themselves as caretakers of this land, committed to leaving it better than they received it. From tending hops and harvesting vegetables, to preserving natural habitats across their farms, everything they do is guided by purpose: to farm with integrity, innovate with intention, and support the people and communities who depend on what they grow. Their hops have been a part of the Salmon-Safe program since 2009. Learn more at colemanag.com.
Hood River Orchard and Ale Festival is a fresh festival that brings together the region’s finest cidermakers and brewers during peak harvest season. Nestled in the heart of orchard country and hop fields, this event is a chance to sip the freshest pours in one of Oregon’s most scenic settings. Learn more at orchardandale.com.