The Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau has launched the Spirits and Hops Trail, a hip and fun website where visitors and residents can easily navigate the growing number of local craft breweries, cideries and distilleries that have sprung up throughout the region.
The new site provides information and online maps of breweries, cider operations and distilleries throughout the Yakima Valley, as well as restaurants that feature locally crafted adult beverages. You’ll even find that certain wineries like Naches Heights Vineyards offer their own custom craft beers.
The Yakima Valley is the top agricultural region in Washington state. In addition to growing 40 varieties of crops, the Valley produces 78 percent of the nation’s hops. For decades, commercial and craft breweries across the country and globe have relied on the quality hops grown in the Valley for their products.
Tourism leaders believe the project will complement the thriving wine industry of the Yakima Valley. “Our agricultural heritage is a foundation of our visitor industry,” says John Cooper, President and CEO of the Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau. “It’s only natural that we should celebrate our role in the beer and distillery industries.” Cooper stated the visitors bureau will be marketing the site through a number of media channels, publicity and outreach to special interest groups.
The website also contains a history of the hops industry, a blog with guest authors and a calendar of events of interest to beer, cider and spirits enthusiasts.