Wānaka’s Maungawera Valley is the site of a hops growing trial, as New Zealand hop varieties continue to make a name for themselves internationally.

Hops (the flowers of Humulus lupulus) are primarily used as a bittering, flavouring, and stability agent in beer.

Hop Revolution is a business collaboration between craft brewer Terry McCashin, Dr Susan Wheeler and Kerry Skilton. The business has created New Zealand’s largest single site hop garden (116ha) in Nelson.

Hop Revolution general manager Lachlan Boyle told the Wānaka App the Maungawera Valley is one of several sites the business is trialling, most of which are in the South Island.

Hops need high sunshine hours and a cold winter, which the Maungawera Valley delivers. PHOTO: Wānaka App

The business is focused on growing demand to potentially expand into new growing regions, he said.

“We’ve always believed there are other regions in which hops can be grown successfully.”

New Zealand hops are less than two percent of the world’s supply, but their flavours and aromas are unique.

Hops like the cold in the winter months but they don’t like wind. Lachlan said the key growing requirements are sunshine hours, heat units, and winter chill; and “making sure you’re using the best growing and picking techniques”.

Hop Revolution is providing consultant advice to the Ruddenklau family in the Maungawera Valley.

“We’ve been working with Grant and Jake Ruddenklau for four years now to basically see whether the area can grow hops, and it has shown it can.

“[Wānaka brewery] B.effect has done a fresh hop beer from the Maungawera hops.” 

Hop Revolution sells 90 percent of what it grows into the US market.

“The scale of the beer market is significant and the market for hops post Covid is pretty tough. There are acres of hops not being harvested in the US,” Lachlan said.

As Hop Revolution seeks another potential growing region, the key will be “winning in the market”.

“Our goal is to take premium hops to the best craft brewers in the world,” he said.