Sip Northwest, Winter 2015
B T Loftus Ranches Towering above the Smiths hop eld 41 is a bright red barn like structure that houses the newest aspect of the family business Bale Breaker Brewing Co which opened in April 2013 The 11000 square foot 30 barrel production facility and tap room are surrounded on three sides by rows of Cascade hop bines The brewery is also a family a air with Smiths siblings Kevin Smith and Meghann Quinn along with her husband Kevin Quinn overseeing Bale Breaker Though the hops are processed o site B T Loftus Ranches crop inevitably makes it into every can and keg of Bale Breaker beer The dry hop forward beers have gained immense respect among brewers and beer experts after all with one of the longest running hop farms in Yakima behind the beer this is a family that knows its hops You might even say its in their DNA Also in Yakima fourth generation grower Patrick Smith can trace his history with hops back to his great grandparents B T and Leota Loftus who planted the crop in the valley just before Prohibition ended The couple emigrated from Ireland via Ellis Island and worked their way west on the railroad settling in Yakima in 1920 Twelve years later they got into the business of growing hops Hops had been grown in the Yakima Valley for about 60 years by that point But when Prohibition started in 1920 hops acreage in the United States was basically cut in half Smith says In 1932 it was becoming increasingly clear that the prohibition would be lifted and hop acreage in Yakima Valley doubled in one year My great grandparents were part of that acreage explosion The Loftus farmed just ve acres in 1932 compared with the 950 Smith oversees today at the familys B T Loftus Ranches Things have changed over time but Smiths family history is never far a eld The original ve acres are still in production and the farms o ce is the original house the family purchased upon moving to Yakima Valley in 1920 Michael Smith on B T Loftus Ranches sprawling acreage
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