What is Hop Harvest Fest, and why are Sydney brewers and beer lovers treating it like Christmas?

Recorded at Mixtape Brewing in Marrickville, David sits down with Jason Treuen from the Inner West Ale Trail to break down one of the most unique beer events in Australia, a celebration of fresh hop beers brewed within hours of harvest.

From brewery passports and cult t-shirts to the logistics of getting hops from Victoria to Sydney in a single day, this is your ultimate guide to Hop Harvest Fest.

• What Hop Harvest Fest actually is and why fresh hops matter
• How brewers transport and use hops within hours of harvest
• The “passport challenge”: visit 9 breweries to earn the iconic free t-shirt
• Why fresh hop beers taste different (and why they’re rare)
• Route tips, strategy, and how to tackle all 9 breweries
• The story behind the Inner West Ale Trail and its growth
• Why breweries today are about more than just beer (food, community, culture)

If you love craft beer, pub culture, or just discovering the best of Sydney’s Inner West, this episode gives you everything you need to experience Hop Harvest Fest properly — not just as a pub crawl, but as a celebration of brewing, community, and ridiculously fresh beer.

👉 Explore the trail:
https://innerwestaletrail.com.au/

🍻 Breweries (Hop Harvest Fest Participants)

• Mixtape Brewing
  https://www.mixtapebrewing.com.au/
  
  
• Young Henrys
  https://younghenrys.com/
  
  
• Batch Brewing Co
  https://batchbrewingco.com.au/
  
  
• The Grifter Brewing Co
  https://thegrifter.com.au/
  
  
• Future Brewing
  https://futurebrewing.com.au/
  
  
• Bracket Brewing
  https://www.bracketbrewing.com/
  
  
• Kicks Brewing
  https://www.kicksbrewing.com.au/
  
  
• Sauce Brewing Co
  https://sauce.beer/
  
  
• Philter Brewing
  https://philterbrewing.com/

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Host: David A. Lennon – @davidalennon
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