NZ’s annual hop harvest an exciting time for craft beer community

The recent annual hop harvest has sparked excitement in the Kiwi craft beer community as it enables brewers to use fresh hops in their beers.

This year’s harvest, which took place between March and April, yielded an estimated 2500 metric tonnes of hops — 66 per cent higher than the 2019 harvest.

Fresh hops are transported to different breweries around New Zealand, where they’re used in limited edition beers to highlight their unique flavour characteristics.

Assistant brewer at West Auckland’s Black Sands brewery, Craig Hebblethwaite, says the fresh hop season is an exciting time for breweries.

“As brewers, it's exciting as we only get to use them once a year, so we scramble to use them.”

The fresh hops made available with each harvest differ from the dried hops available year-round – making the harvest an experimental and flavourful time.

“The fresh hops present a grassier, less dank vegetable flavour and are overall brighter in flavour.” says Hebblethwaite.

Hebblethwaite says consumers are reveling in the opportunity to try new and limited-edition craft beers.

“Consumers get excited as these beers are limited in quantity and showcase the best of what the hops have to offer.”

Homebrewer and craft beer enthusiast, Jamie Clarke, looks forward to trying new beers available during the fresh hop season.

“I am excited to see how brewers use these hops, in particular, riffs on already available beers to see the difference the fresh hops make.”

Clarke also grows his own and says hop harvest is a time for enjoyment.

“I get great satisfaction watching them [hops] flourish over the summer months and push out cones and I get great enjoyment in the harvest day for hops.”

This year has seen not only more fresh hop beers produced but have also been the “best quality”, according to Hebblethwaite.

Hebblethwaite says craft beer continues to grow in popularity, and fresh hops play a significant role in this.

“People who drink craft beer are focused on the quality of ingredients; fresh hop beers show the quality of hops we produce here.”

Fresh hop beers are available at select liquor outlets or available direct from breweries.