Hopwire Blog

Experimental Hops in the Elite Trial stage are a key tool for homebrewers and commercial brewers alike, with new aromas and characteristics that give brewers the ability to get creative with their recipes. Learn about the history of hop breeding, purpose of Elite Trials, and the profiles of select Experimental Hops. 

We are celebrating the coronation of the winner of the Alpha King Challenge for Europe 2022!

From a hop yard in the Yakima Valley, Joe Catron of Yakima Chief Hops provide the second field report of the Crop Year 2022.

In celebration of Independence Day, Yakima Chief Hops is launching the Annual Veterans Blend. Each year YCH collaborates with Veterans from the brewing industry to select both the hop blend and non-profit organization that directly supports various aspects of the Veteran community and bring value to the lives of those who have served.

From a Citra® hop field in the Willamette Valley, Joe Catron of Yakima Chief Hops and Rob Laurie of Yakima Chief Ranches provide the first field report of the Crop Year 2022.

Hop blends have the ability to create combinations of flavors as well as collaboration within the brewing industry

The New Zealand Hop Harvest has wrapped for Crop Year 2022. Brent McGlashen of Mac Hops NZ has provided a final Field Report to conclude the season.

Not only do we partner with the Pink Boots Society each year on our Pink Boots Blend, but many of our YCH staff are also members of the Pink Boots Society. A few of them attended the 2022 conference in February and we asked them to give us the inside scoop and share a few highlights from the event! Check out what they had to say about their experiences below.

A few weeks ago, we announced the release of the song “Ballad of Fort Road,” written and performed by Cody Beebe and The Crooks. This lyrical dedication pays tribute to Tom Carpenter, Jr., fourth generation hop grower of Carpenter Ranches, and the hop growing families who have fought to keep the farms going during some of the most challenging years in the industry.

While hop yards in the U.S. are laying dormant during winter, YCH's new family farm partner, Mac Hops NZ is heading into their harvest season which kicks off in March! Brent McGlashen from Mac Hops NZ has provided a boots-on-the-ground Field Report for their 2022 hop crop.

At Yakima Chief Hops, our business is rooted in earth because we rely upon the output of Mother Nature and farming communities across the Pacific Northwest to produce the world’s finest hops. Threats to agriculture, like extreme droughts and floods, impact our business and our ability to grow hops. To drive growth and increases resilience, we need to move beyond just sustaining our planet, and defer back to our indigenous roots of regenerating it.

With the 2021 Harvest behind us and 2021 Crop Year Products already heading into the market, our team is excited to begin planning 2022 Harvest and Selection.