The event, which took place on Sunday, September 14, saw participants bring their home-grown hop plants to contribute to the seasonal harbinger pale ale, named Brewers Garden.
Volunteers also joined in the fun, helping prepare the hops while enjoying the atmosphere and a pint.
The unique beer, which embodies Stroud’s sense of place and community, will be available in the brewery’s taproom and pubs around Stroud for a limited time while autumn turns into winter.
Nick Quayle, who has been growing hops for the brewery since the first hop picking day in 2009, said: “It’s such an enjoyable and sociable event to be part of.
“I enjoy watching the hop plant grow during the summer—after 15 years, it’s now very well-established.”
The Swail family, Heather, Will and their daughter Erica, joined the initiative as a lockdown project.
“Our plant grows over a lean-to and was taking over the washing line until I drew the line at that and insisted on a hard pruning back,” said Heather.
Paul Bingle, another contributor, said: “I like the circularity of it—growing and nurturing the plant, harvesting the hops and then drinking the beer at the end.
“It’s become an autumn tradition.”
Many participants at the event were not growers but enjoyed helping to prepare the hops.
This tradition started when one of the brewery’s loyal customers offered to grow hops after seeing the small hop garden at the old brewery.
Since then, the Hop Club has grown, attracting new members, and hop picking day has become a cherished tradition at Stroud Brewery.
Despite a lack of rain impacting the size of the hops, a total of 75.75kgs of green hops were prepared and added to the Brewers Garden brew.
Greg Pilley, Stroud Brewery’s managing director, said: “I always look forward to hop picking day.
“Coming together to harvest the hops that the members of the Hop Club have grown and share a drink is a good way to mark the turn of the seasons.”
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