The Hop Harvest 2023.
For much of March, we had the luxury of finding ourselves down in the Nelson region with our good friends at Freestyle Farms and international pals - scoping, smelling, relishing and harvesting this year's hop selection for the 2023 harvest.
As brewers, traditionally you’re just on the receiving end of the hop selection process - literally. So to head down there and become familiar with the personality of the fields, fall in love with the varieties on the bines and to better understand the terroir of the region - that was game changing. Pete walked away with a few recipes already percolating away. Needless to say there's a lot to look forward to out of the luscious fields every-so-slightly south. Aotearoa brings a lot to the hop table, we're so excited to continue our endeavor to find out what exactly that can be. There'll be plenty more to share in due course, but for now - let Pete assure you...
"What they’re doing down at Freestyle Farms is absolutely f#@king mind-blowing.”
The Hāpi Symposium.
With so much international industry royalty in town, we couldn't ignore the opportunity to squeeze all that knowledge and experience out of them - and not just on the brew floor (we'll get to that shortly). Ergo, after a four year hiatus, we were stoked to announce the return of the Hāpi Symposium! Helmed by Hāpi Hop Research (a collaboration between MPI, Freestyle Farms and ourselves here at GP), the Symposium once again wrangled the world’s best breweries, industry leaders and hop scientists under one iconic Wellington roof (Te Papa, the roof was that of Te Papa's). The result was an inspiring day of curated talks, covering the latest groundbreaking research in hops, brewing techniques and experiences from around the globe. The Symposium sets out to elevate the brewing industry here in Aotearoa to measure up against the best of them. We already know we have huge talent here in this little nation - the quality of New Zealand hops, malt, yeast and beer will attest to that, but the Hāpi Symposium was something else. It was unreal to have such an open dialogue with some of the best minds in the industry and stand amongst the cutting edge of brewing innovation. It's fizzy stuff and we're giddy that we play a part. To those who managed to attend - kia ora! It was an unforgettable day and a truly special moment for the brewing industry here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Hāpi Sessions 2023.
This year's hoppy action didn't stop there. While we were catching up, talking shop and hops with the crème de la crème of the brewing world, it also gave us a chance to - you guessed it - join forces in collaboration. Enter the latest wave of Hāpi Sessions! This year we welcome volume 10, 11 & 12. A hat trick of brews, born of friendship with three different breweries at the absolute top of their game. Each showcasing a different hop forward beer in a playful ‘freestyle’ interpretation of the style that put them on the map. For 2023, we've teamed with three world class breweries hailing from the USA - Cloudburst, Humble Sea and Highland Park. Three breweries, three friendships, three game changing beers.
Hāpi Sessions Vol. 10 - Fogbound.
All round good humans Humble Sea, from surf city Santa Cruz make the haze roll in with what they lovingly call a foggy IPA**.** Absurd quantities of oats and lavish layers of US Citra, Freestyle-grown Nelson Sauvin and SubZero Hop Kief create an impenetrably hazy brew with a huge, dense tropical citrus-smash aroma.
Hāpi Sessions Vol. 11 - Welcome To Cloudland.
Jet City brewers Cloudburst bring the Seattle sound with a blended take on what they call a North-West IPA. Oregon grown Chinook thrashes out a set with Freestyle Riwaka & Nelson Sauvin, before loading up with shots of SubZero Hop Kief, trashing the stage & leaving through the back door. There’s a reason Cloudburst were crowned ‘The Brewery and Brewer of the Year’ at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver in 2021 - one of the USA’s most prestigious beer honours. Crack a can and you’ll find out why.
Hāpi Sessions Vol. 12 - Immense World.
LA wunderkinds Highland Park come to the Garage to breathe new life into an old style with their hop fuelled West Coast take on the classic pilsner. Mellow, sweet malt notes balance beautifully with the bold juicy citrus stone fruit flavours of US Mosaic, Freestyle Riwaka & Motueka. It’s how they roll in the City of Angels.
New Zealand, you can find these three collaborations in all their hoppy glory online or in GP venues now! Australia - don't worry, they're on their way. Keep your eyes peeled for their release sometime later this month…
Yours in hops,
The team at GP.