Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Atlantic Hops announces plans to pelletize and distribute regionally grown hops to brewers in the Northeast. The company has already begun working with both farmers and brewers on this exciting opportunity. Atlantic Hops also launches its new web site – www.atlantichops.com.

Larchmont, NY (December 1, 2010): Atlantic Hops is pleased to announce that it is filling an important void in the regional hops industry. The company will establish a processing facility in the Northeast to pelletize hops grown throughout the region. With craft brewers in the area firmly established in the market, substantial demand now exists for locally grown hops. High quality, regionally grown hops are set to once again become a commercially viable crop in this part of the country.

The Northeast was once the largest hop growing region in the United States, and hops are again being grown here on a very small scale. Some growers use the hops for their own home brews, while others have begun selling small quantities to local breweries. Due to the lack of a regional processor however, most of these growers supply whole leaf hops, whereas the vast majority of craft brewers use hop pellets.

“Atlantic Hops is putting the infrastructure in place to bridge this gap, so that hops reach the market in the form that brewers demand,” according to Mike Roffman, the company’s founder and General Manager. To be competitive, regional hops need to be more than simply turned into pellets. They also need to be consistently high in quality, as well as packaged and analyzed according to industry standards. Individual, small-scale growers are typically not set up to meet all of these standards on their own.

With a regional processor in place, hops can be commercially grown on as little as one acre. To this end, Atlantic Hops is actively looking to partner with both existing hop growers and potential new growers. Mutually beneficial relationships can be established in a variety of ways, ranging from full partnerships to simple fee for services arrangements.

To aid this effort, we have developed the Atlantic Grower Program. This is a comprehensive partnership between grower and processor that returns the majority of the value of the crop back to the farmer. We work with Atlantic Growers at each stage of the cultivation process, from establishment of the hop yard all the way through harvesting and drying. After the dried hops are shipped to our processing facility, we coordinate not only the pelletizing, but also the testing and packaging, as well as the marketing and distribution to regional brewers. In addition to relying on a sustainable business model, sustainable agricultural practices are also an integral part of this program.

There are several reasons why demand for local hops is on the rise. In part, it is because more and more consumers in our region prefer foods and beverages with locally sourced ingredients. Beer is no exception. Other reasons relate to the hop industry itself, where a hop shortage in 2007 forced many brewers to look for new sources of supply. Going forward, a reliable supply of local hops would make brewers in our region less vulnerable to supply shocks from current sources in the Pacific Northwest and Europe.

Hops have a long history in the Northeast. In the early 1800’s, Massachusetts was the largest supplier of hops in the United States. By the mid-1800’s New York was the leader, a position it held all the way through the early 20th century. Historic “hop houses” from that era can still be found throughout the region today. It will take time and it will not be easy, but the effort to revitalize the hops industry in the Northeast is already underway.

Over the past several months, field day events were held at hop yards in several states across the region. In October, Atlantic Hops helped sponsor a pair of courses on small-scale hops production that were held in Cooperstown, NY. According to Mr. Roffman, “these events have given us the chance not only to interact with local farmers and brewers, but also to develop relationships with university extensions and agricultural agencies that are working on hop related projects.” The Atlantic Hops web site (www.atlantichops.com) includes a news and events section, as well as links to other organizations in the region that support development of the local hops industry.

For its part, Atlantic Hops has assembled a team with both industry experience and technical expertise. Part of this expertise comes through a partnership with Gorst Valley Hops of Mazomanie, Wisconsin, a regional hops processor that has been operating a similar grower-processor partnership in the Midwest for several years. Collaborating with Gorst Valley Hops not only provides our region with access to their technical knowledge, but also to their experience in growing and processing hops on this scale.

Gregg Baimel, Gorst Valley’s Market Development Director, relates that “In the Midwest, close collaboration between grower and processor has in fact produced high quality hops that are locally sold to the benefit of both sides. The third member of this partnership is the local breweries that purchase the hops. Brewers can come out to the field to inspect the hops, see how they are grown and processed, and provide input on varieties they would like to see grown.”

This is an excellent time to enter the local hops industry. We encourage farmers, brewers and related outreach organizations to contact us about getting involved. Atlantic Hops is also available to speak at your next agricultural or brewing event. We welcome your questions and comments and look forward to hearing from you.

Atlantic Hops processes and distributes high quality hops that are grown throughout the Northeastern United States. The company is working with farmers and brewers to develop a locally grown supply of high quality pelletized and whole leaf hops.

Contact Information
Atlantic Hops
info@atlantichops.com
(914) 834-5130
www.atlantichops.com