The turning of a new calendar means thinking about the agricultural crop of the coming season. While there is still many months until the U.S. crop is ready for harvest, we’re mere weeks away in the southern hemisphere.
ProBrewer contributor John Holl spoke with Owen Johnston, Head of Sales and Marketing at Hop Products Australia (HPA) about the 2023 crop and overall outlook for Australia.
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John Holl: How is the 2023 harvest looking for the region?
Owen Johnston: HPA has experienced some challenging wet weather conditions through Spring, but it has not impacted their progress on critical farm operations such as stringing and training. The current outlook for crop 2023 remains unchanged at this early stage.
John Holl: Where is brewer interest with varietals these days?
Owen Johnston: Brewers are still obsessed with creating the latest flavors and aromas in beer, which has stimulated hop breeding activity around the world. HPA’s newest proprietary hop Eclipse has exceeded expectations. Based on brewing trials, they knew they were on to a winner, which is why HPA backed Eclipse with significant acreage from the get-go. But it’s always good to have that validated with hundreds of brewing customers around the world committing to forward contracts.
A number those brewers are now using Eclipse in their core range because of its undeniable impact in beer, meaning it can be used in smaller quantities to achieve comparable hop flavors and aromas, making their higher volume beers more cost-effective to produce. Eclipse remains on track to become HPA’s third biggest proprietary hop by 2024 at 65 hectares, second only to Galaxy and Vic Secret. Their range of fruit-forward flavor hops are perfectly suited to trending beer styles of which the IPA is still king, but beer drinkers are definitely taking notice of other styles including crisp lagers, fruited sours and dessert stouts.
John Holl: Are there any experiential or new-to-market hops that you are particularly excited about?
Owen Johnston: The HPA breeding program is continually generating new hops. They’re focused on yield, adaptability and impact in beer that might not be available from any other hop in the global market. HPA’s next commercial variety already exists in the diverse cohort of experimental cultivars they’re trailing now, which means there’s more Aussie flavor hops coming brewers’ way in the future. The current front-runners in the program have a range of flavor profiles from tropical fruit salad, guava and lime, lemon curd and mango lassi to ginger and saffron.
John Holl: Any tips or suggestions for US brewers who are thinking about making the trip down for the harvest?
Owen Johnston: HPA are excited to be welcoming brewers on farm again in March 2023, and encourage brewers to contact their Aussie hop supplier so they can help tee up a sensational itinerary, including a harvest tour, time to bask in their world class breeding garden, and plenty of time with their team of experts. It’ll be one big celebration of the close ties between agriculture and beer. HPA also encourage you to celebrate their growing regions, with advice on how to prepare, what to eat and drink, and where to stay and play in Southern Tasmania and North-Eastern Victoria.