HPA

Introducing TerraSurge™ and TerraFlux™

HPaadMin37 — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:38:25 +0000

We are excited to announce the commercial release of TerraFlux HBC 682 c.v. and TerraSurge HBC 1325 c.v., two new alpha hop varieties cultivated to deliver efficient, dependable bittering performance alongside outstanding agronomic characteristics.

Developed by the Hop Breeding Company (HBC), a joint venture between our mates John I. Haas and Yakima Chief Ranches, these varieties were designed to give both brewers and growers practical solutions for a sustainable future.

While many modern hop varieties are celebrated for expressive aroma, TerraFlux and TerraSurge were developed with a different goal in mind: providing clean, consistent bitterness and reliable brewing performance. Their high bittering potential allows brewers to achieve target bitterness levels efficiently, making them valuable additions to a wide range of beer styles.

Beyond the brewhouse, both varieties stand out in the field. Strong agronomic performance, including high yields and strong disease and pest resistance, helps support a more reliable hop supply while improving efficiency throughout the production process. These traits make TerraFlux and TerraSurge attractive options for growers looking to maximize productivity without compromising quality.

Prior crop years of TerraFlux and TerraSurge are now available for purchase in varying quantities, and the newest crop year will be harvested in the coming weeks. Contact your HPA sales rep to learn more about availability for both spot purchases and contracting.

A bit about the partnership with John I. Haas and the Hop Breeding Company

In the US, our partner grower is John I. Haas. They supply us with consistently high-quality hops, including access to the Hop Breeding Company (HBC) proprietary varieties. While many hop suppliers carry hops like Citra^®, Mosaic^®, Dolcita, Krush^®, Ekuanot^®, Sabro^®, Loral^®, and Talus, the Haas and HBC partnership is developing pest and disease-resistant hops with strong commercial qualities, meaning HPA has access to the very best US hops available, supported by significant quantities.

Elite by name. Elite by nature.

HPaadMin37 — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 01:19:53 +0000

The Royal Adelaide Beer & Cider Awards (RABCA) was established in 1844. This year, the 10 trophies were dominated by home state heroes, with more than 200 medals handed out to breweries across Australia.

Deep Elite Brewing’s Fractured Traveller recently took out Champion IPA, proudly sponsored by HPA. The WA outfit is owned and operated by retired Royal Australian Submariners and strives to use local ingredients where possible. After giving them some time to celebrate their awards, we got in touch with Head Brewer and Owner Brydon Maslin to congratulate the team and ask a few questions about their beers.

Q: Congrats on your recent success at the 2026 Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards – Beer. You went home with the trophy for Champion IPA and the Simon Fahey Trophy for best new exhibitor. What does this recognition mean to you?

A: To us, this has been some recognition of the hard work and effort the entire team has put into creating and distributing our product, and shows us that maybe we could be on the right track and it’s not just us that like our beers.

Q: You also earned a slew of medals, including 1 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze. What’s the secret to making award-winning beers across multiple categories?

A: Listening to feedback and adjusting recipes where needed. Also, not pigeonholing ourselves into one area or style.

Q: Of all your beers that medalled, which 3 mean the most and why?

A: Definitely Fractured Traveller, easily the beer we’ve worked the hardest to improve. It’s a nod to navy days as Columbus was a mariner, hence the name. Next probably The Offering, as it was our first attempt at such a big, bold beer with adjuncts and ageing on fermenter additions. Next would be Pitmaster Pale, as we worked hard to get this one right, and it was a collab with one of our favourite restaurants and local WA brewers, Scene Brewing.

Q: On the journey from homebrewer to award winners, what’s the biggest milestone you’ve celebrated?

A: It’s likely the RABACA awards, as it’s the first trophy I’ve won for a beer that I’ve created and brewed myself.

Q: Do you have a favourite Aussie hop?

A: At the moment, from HPA it would be Ella, as we’ve been using it a lot in pilot brews. From other local hop farms, I’m loving Azure from Ryefield and Cluster from Margaret River Hops.

Huell Classic

HPaadMin37 — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:14:54 +0000

Back to the future for King Road and Altitude Brewing

HPaadMin37 — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 01:49:44 +0000

The Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards is the largest annual beer competition in the world, judging both draught and packaged beer. In 2026, the Awards received more than 2,200 entries from 381 breweries across 22 countries. It is a valuable benchmarking opportunity for breweries of all sizes to secure internationally recognised credentials that will help their beer stand out in a crowd.

Two familiar names delivered standout results at this year’s AIBA’s. For the second time in three years, King Road Brewing Co took home Champion Small Australian Brewery, and our mates from across the ditch, Altitude Brewing, claimed back-to-back Best Modern Pale Ale trophies, both sponsored by HPA. If that wasn’t enough, King Road bagged 10 medals and Champion Australian Independent Brewery, whilst Altitude scored 20 medals from 20 entries, Best Pilsner and Champion Small International Brewery.

Rather than publish two separate features, we’ve combined both conversations into a snapshot of continued excellence from two of our mates who are making bloody good beers. We sat down with King Road’s Head Brewer Steve Wearing and Altitude’s Founder Elliot Menzies to ask them about their recent AIBA’s hauls.

Congrats to both of you on your continued success at the AIBA’s. You both took home multiple trophies and a slew of medals, what does this kind of recognition mean to you?

Elliot Menzies, Altitude: Well, I think feelings like that are pretty hard to articulate frankly! Most words would be unrepresentative, beeped out, or both. Pretty blown away to have such consistent success and in such competitive categories – unreal.

Steve Wearing, King Road: It’s incredible recognition for the brewing team, they put a huge amount of effort into all of our beers and it’s amazing to have them judged to be amongst the best in the country.

You’ve tallied strong medal counts across your breweries this year. What’s the secret to making award-winning beers across multiple categories?

Elliot: There is no secret, we do the same thing everyone else does. If there is one thing that separates us, it’s the cohesion and synergy of our entire team. It might sound a little corny, but the fun we have together in our roles lets our passion show, and that passion is real for everyone in the business. We can all focus on the areas we are best at and the end result is the sum of its parts.

Steve: There are no secrets in brewing. We all help each other out and share knowledge. There are a lot of factors that go into making quality beer, starting with high quality and fresh raw materials. From there, really tight processes in place throughout the entire brewing and packaging process. It’s incredibly easy to screw up a batch of beer, so the team are hyper focused and take the time to do things properly, every time.

Of your medalling beers this year, which 3 mean the most to you?

Elliot: Window of Opportunity would be one – a real labour of love with hand-picked and destemmed flowers and carefully controlled infusions. Powder Day is another, always refined and now a multiple award-winner across competitions. And Zen Shiro is the third – a sake pilsner that takes forever in tank but is incredibly niche and rewarding when it lands right.

Steve: The NZ Cold IPA did all the heavy lifting for us this year – it scored 19.5/20 which is incredible. XPA picking up gold is also really exciting, trying to get the right balance in a lower ABV beer is really challenging so it’s rewarding to see that one do well. Then the third gold going to our seasonal release American Pale Ale is cool, that’s a bit of a selfish beer, brewed because it’s the kind of beer the brewing team really enjoy drinking. It’s great to see the judges agree with us.

BarthHaas Report 2025/2026

HPaadMin37 — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 01:13:12 +0000

Each year BarthHaas publish timely statistics on the global hop and brewing industries, as well as insights into the latest agronomic and economic trends. It is one constant in a market that is always changing.

If you want to get straight to the details, you can…

Download BarthHaas Report 2025/2026 (PDF)

…or you can read our summary below.

The global hop market remains under significant pressure despite further acreage reductions. Global hop acreage fell 5% to 52,660 hectares in crop year 2025, while total crop volume declined 3% to 109,188 metric tonnes.

Germany remains the world’s largest hop-growing country, with 18,962 hectares in 2025, a year-on-year reduction of 6%. The USA followed with 17,057 hectares, down 7% from the previous year.

Global hop production fell to 109,188 metric tonnes. Despite a slight increase in average alpha acid content from 10.5 to 10.6%, the total alpha yield decreased 3% to 11,532 metric tonnes.

Global beer production fell by 1% to just below 1.9 billion hectolitres. At the same time hop demand fell by 3% to approximately 10,700 metric tonnes of alpha acid, a decline attributable not only to lower beer output but also reduced hop dosage in the brewing process and changes in beer style composition. This resulted in a surplus of approximately 1,200 metric tonnes of alpha acid, corresponding to structural surplus production of approximately 5,100 hectares.

“The global hop and beer industry is undergoing a period of far-reaching structural change,” says Thomas Raiser, CEO of BarthHaas. “A persistent surplus is compounded by changing consumer behaviour and mounting economic pressure throughout the entire value chain. What matters now is how adaptable the industry remains, all the way from hop growing to brewing.”

While the global figures reflect an industry in transition, they also point to where the real opportunities lie. Hop growers and brewers that respond with agility, invest in the right varieties, and align production with genuine demand will be best placed to thrive as the industry finds its new equilibrium.

Get in touch to discuss your brewing plans and crop 2026 hop requirements, or to learn more about the experimental hops we’re developing for the next generation of beer styles. Together, we can navigate this period of change and come out stronger on the other side.

A bit about BarthHaas:

HPA are regional representatives of the global BarthHaas group, which is the world’s largest supplier of hop products and services.

BarthHaas operates across all continents, providing support to its members along the whole value supply chain: from breeding and growing through to processing and the marketing of hops and hop products.

Their innovation centres, Barth Innovations in the UK and Haas Innovations in the US, are dedicated to research and development. We have access to their results, which means our customers can take advantage of the full potential of hops. Because your beer is our passion.

When alcohol leaves, aroma shows

HPaadMin37 — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:34:07 +0000

The demand for non-alcoholic (NA) and low-alcohol beer continues to grow, but consumer expectations are changing just as quickly. They aren’t simply looking for an alternative to full-strength beer. They expect the same flavour, aroma intensity and drinking experience, just without the alcohol. BarthHaas’ whitepaper takes a deep dive into how to optimise flavour without ABV and how products like LupoMax, Prysma and Spectrum can futureproof your business and take your NA beers to the next level.

For brewers, this is easier said than done. Alcohol plays a far greater role than simply contributing to ABV. It influences how aromas are released, how bitterness is perceived, how flavours integrate and how a beer feels on the palate. Remove alcohol, and the entire sensory balance shifts. That’s why producing exceptional NA beer isn’t simply about making less alcohol. It’s about tweaking recipes to compensate for a lack of ABV, while still maintaining a full body.

Why NA beer tastes different

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding NA beer is that flavour compounds disappear when alcohol is removed. In reality, many of the same aroma compounds remain present, the challenge is that without ethanol acting as a flavour carrier, their influence changes dramatically.

Brewers often encounter:

Thinner mouthfeel
More pronounced bitterness
Wort-tasting beers
Reduced aroma intensity
Less overall flavour balance

The result can be a beer that lacks balance, even when brewed with quality ingredients.

Brewing for flavour from the beginning

The latest BarthHaas whitepaper, highlights that successful NA and low-alcohol production starts long before dry hopping or flavour additions. Mash recipe, fermentation strategy and yeast selection all influence the finished product.

One of the most significant developments is the use of maltose-negative yeasts. These strains naturally produce very little alcohol while still creating fermentation-derived aroma compounds that help reduce wort-like flavours and improve overall complexity. Combined with thoughtful mash schedules and fermentation management, brewers can create a much stronger flavour foundation before adding any hops or innovative hop products.

Why hops matter more than ever

While yeast and process lay the groundwork, hops become one of the most important tools available for rebuilding flavour. Hop-derived compounds help restore many of the sensory characteristics consumers expect, contributing intense aroma, complexity and mouthfeel that can otherwise be diminished in NA and low-alcohol beers.

Because bitterness is often perceived more intensely without alcohol, brewers also need to rethink how they use hops. Rather than just increasing hopping rates, the goal becomes achieving balance through carefully selected hop varieties, late additions and aroma-focused techniques.

Modern hop products for modern brewing

Dry hopping remains one of the most effective ways to build aroma in NA beer. However, traditional hop pellets can introduce hop creep into NA beer production. Natural enzymes found in hop cones and pellets can also restart fermentation, leading to unintended alcohol production and changes to the finished beer.

Concentrated pellets like Lupomax can help brewers maintain intense hop characteristics whilst reducing dosing rates and therefore reducing vegetative matter, responsible for hop creep. Lupomax comes in a selection of different varieties, such as Citra^®, Mosaic^® and many other popular varieties.

Liquid hop products can provide brewers with another option. Products such as Prysma and Spectrum contain no vegetative matter, eliminating hop creep, whilst providing intense, hop-specific characteristics. Prysma, our newest liquid product, contains no alpha acids, which will help in finding the appropriate balance in bitterness. Liquid hop products can also offer greater accuracy in dosing, can be added at different stages in the brewing cycle and provide greater consistency batch after batch. Prysma and Spectrum are also available in a range of hop varieties, from your Aussie favourites Eclipse^® and Galaxy^®, to Citra, Mosaic and more. Get in touch with your local rep today about how you can secure modern hop products that are perfect for NA and low-alcohol beer production.

Learn more

As consumer demand for full-flavoured NA beer continues to grow, brewers have more tools than ever to meet expectations. Download the latest BarthHaas whitepaper to explore the science behind flavour optimisation, production methods, maltose-negative yeasts, sensory, and how modern hop products can help brewers produce better NA and low-alcohol beers.

Download BarthHaas Whitepaper (PDF)

If you’d like to learn more about our liquid hop products, register for BarthHaas’ Modern Brewing Webinar on Thursday 29 October at 7pm AEDT. Learn the ins and outs of Spectrum and Prysma, ask the technical experts at BarthHaas questions, and connect with a global network of brewers.

Hop flavour that lasts a (shelf) lifetime

HPaadMin37 — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 03:47:40 +0000

Brewers are under ever-increasing pressure to produce distinctive, flavour-forward beers while reducing costs, improving efficiency and maintaining a level of consistency that their customers demand. Whether you’re looking to create multiple products from a single wort stream, boost hop intensity without any additional bitterness, reduce beer loss or just simplify your dry hopping techniques, Prysma can help take your beers to the next level. BarthHaas’ whitepaper explores the product features, key benefits and usage recommendations, including real-world case studies from brewers who are already using Prysma.

What is Prysma?

Prysma is a flavour platform built on 100% hop-derived emulsifier technology that accelerates the transfer of aromas and flavours that remain in suspension for lasting freshness, without the presence of synthetic carriers or notable bitterness.

Unlike Spectrum, Prysma contains no alpha acids, which eliminates any danger of hop creep. No bitterness means that Prysma’s benefits don’t stop at traditional beers. Brewers have begun to use Prysma in recipes for hop waters, as well as use it to boost hop intensity in low and no-alcohol beer.

Prysma is highly flowable and easy to dose. From whirlpool additions through to post-filtration dosing, Prysma provides brewers with another tool for building flavour exactly where it’s needed. Prysma is available in Eclipse^®, Galaxy^®, Citra^®, Mosaic^® and many other popular varieties. Custom flavour profiles are also available through consultation with BarthHaas, meaning the only limit is your imagination.

More flexibility throughout the brewing process

One of Prysma’s biggest advantages is where it can be added. Rather than being limited to traditional hopping techniques, Prysma can be added during the whirlpool, fermentation, maturation or even post-filtration.

For many breweries, post-filtration dosing opens entirely new possibilities. A single base beer can be split into multiple SKU’s. For example, a simple lager wort can become a standard lager, hoppy lager and West Coast pilsner. This allows brewers to trial new products or recipes, respond to seasonal demand or develop limited releases with minimal disruption and significantly reduced cost.

Brewing with greater efficiency

While flavour and consistency remain the top priorities for brewers introducing new products, efficiency is becoming just as critical. As consumers continue to demand a growing range of seasonal, limited release and speciality beers, breweries are under increasing pressure to improve production efficiency and reduce costs without compromising on quality.

Traditional T90’s can lead to beer loss, additional cleaning, hop creep, longer tank times and can take up lots of space in the fridge. Prysma has been designed to overcome these challenges without compromising on flavour or quality.

Learn more

Download the BarthHaas Prysma whitepaper to learn more about the technology behind the product, practical brewing applications, production recommendations and case studies from breweries already using Prysma.

Download BarthHaas Whitepaper (PDF)

Want to hear it straight from the brewer? Listen to the latest Crafty Pint podcast, where BarthHaas’ Dr Christina Schönberger and Jopen’s Head Brewer Daniel Schappert discuss the benefits of Prysma, including the practical applications that led to its adoption at Jopen (NL).

Listen to the Crafty Pint Podcast

Management Update

HPaadMin37 — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 04:54:11 +0000

CEO update

Harvest season is complete for crop 2026. Well done and congratulations to you all for navigating the period of increased activity, long days and the professional challenge that harvest represents. We have plenty to celebrate and a few items to reflect on. In this current market, where we are not using all of our hop gardens, harvest management was challenging. Outcomes around cost control and strong yields was an important win for the business and positions us with plenty of great hops to hit the market with. The launch of Luna was impaired by issues in establishment, creating a strong focus area for the coming season to take advantage of the momentum this new release created.

Stephan and Alex Barth, along with the independent directors, attended the May Board meeting, which included tours of both Tasmanian and Victorian operations. The shareholders acknowledge the world-class capability and capacity we have here at HPA. They inspected the pellet plant operation in detail and were very impressed. Although the market is tough currently, the shareholders are optimistic and we have their full support to continue putting Aussie-grown hops in the hands of brewers around the world.

Customer and quality audit

This week we wrapped up our final customer audit of the season, one that’s been busier than ever! We’re proud to have successfully completed our ISO9001 and FSSC22000 certification audits with our new auditors, who were highly impressed with our practices. It was also a fantastic opportunity to host important international customers across harvest and pelleting, including ABi, Lion/Kirin, CUB/Asahi, and the Hop Quality Group. We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback on our systems, particularly the new standard set at our Hop Central FSSC22000 site. Of course, in true audit spirit, a few opportunities for continuous improvement were identified, all of which are aligned with our forward plans. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our farm and pelleting teams, who consistently deliver high quality hops, an outstanding effort all around!

The new magnets installed on farms this season have delivered excellent results, significantly increasing metal object collection onsite and reducing stops at the Hop Central bale breaker metal detector, great work by the farm teams in driving this improvement. Hop Central has also achieved a consistent run this season, producing high-quality pellets, with recent improvement projects clearly boosting both efficiency and effectiveness across operations.

Building a stronger global brand

Since 1988, HPA has been part of the global BarthHaas Group, alongside Haas in the US and BarthHaas in Europe. Together, we are the world’s largest supplier of hop products and services, built on a family-owned legacy spanning more than 230 years. As the market evolves, we see an exciting opportunity to align our separate regional brands under one global brand: BarthHaas. This change is intended to strengthen our market position, improve collaboration across partners, and position us for growth. It’s important to note, this is not a change of ownership. This transformation will be phased over 12–24 months, with careful consideration and planning. We’ll continue to keep you informed on the global brand as we move through the process.

We’re excited to share that the shareholders have approved the Guiding Principles. The Guiding Principles describe who we want to be and how we want to behave. They will form the foundation of our code of conduct going forward. As the leadership team starts to think about rolling out key projects in the coming months, your input and involvement will be invaluable. We encourage everyone to embrace this chapter with curiosity and an open mind — the opportunities this change presents are real, and your enthusiasm will play a key role in shaping the future of BarthHaas both in Australia and on the world stage. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your manager or a member of the leadership team.

Looking ahead

With the end of the financial year looming, we wrap up the year gone by and hammer out the strategy and forecasts for the coming 12 months. Tough market conditions, budget constraints and complex operational challenges will be the defining elements of our short-term outlook. Quality in our execution will be more important than ever before.

Thank you for the dedication, pride and care you bring to your work. It makes a difference!

Owen Johnston
Chief Executive Officer

Farm Update

HPaadMin37 — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 04:52:44 +0000

With another growing season making way for a mild winter and the approaching winter solstice marking the start of the next, the Operations teams are focused on refining budgets, fertiliser programs and labour plans for the new growing season ahead. Farm teams are following through with cleaning up weeds, fixing infrastructure and getting set up for spring.

This season, the team once again pulled together to strengthen our focus on supplying high-quality hops to our customers. We applied insights from irrigation sensors, refined harvest timing and made practical improvements across operations. Overall yield numbers exceeded expectations, with good year-on-year incremental improvement once again repeated in most varieties. Some varietal yields were slightly below forecast from our Tasmanian gardens, reflecting a challenging growth year of slow Growing Degree Day accumulation. We also saw the changing of the guard, so to speak, at BPE during this period, and the team are already hard at work putting new ideas to effect.

The season also brought challenges to our Victorian gardens, with several heat waves occurring through critical periods. While much of the growing season supported a favourable growing window, it also highlighted the risks around irrigation water availability. In response, we utilised our storage dam capacity to strengthen drought risk mitigation and support local waterway management authorities’ strategic approach to river levels.

This coming season, we will continue to prioritise sustainability, efficiency, and recovery with a strong focus on soil health through increased cover cropping and soil remediation. We also have another opportunity to idle and rejuvenate some of our older blocks, and at the same time expand the work done on our new trial varieties, with a number of gardens being planted this spring.

People & Culture Update

HPaadMin37 — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 04:51:08 +0000

Recruitment Update

Events & Partnerships Manager – After 5+ years as Brand Activation Specialist, we bid farewell to Elise Griggs, who left to pursue a new opportunity at Blundstone. Recruitment for her replacement is progressing well, with an appointment expected shortly.
HR & Safety Manager – Nick Leitch also recently left HPA after more than 10 years as the HR Manager, to pursue a new opportunity with Stadiums Tasmania. His replacement will be appointed shortly and will be based in Myrtleford.

Annual Performance Reviews

Our annual performance review cycle is commencing:

Head Office: June – July
VIC Farms and Hop Central: June – August
BPE: August – September

Managers will schedule time to discuss individual performance over the past 12 months. In preparation, employees are encouraged to reflect on their performance, achievements, and development needs. This process provides an opportunity to recognise contributions, receive constructive feedback, and set clear goals for the year ahead. Reviews can be accessed via Employment Hero (Performance → Performance Reviews).

Harvest Stats

We saw strong interest in seasonal roles this harvest:

Victoria: 1,400+ applications across casual harvest, field sampling, and Hop Central pellet plant roles
BPE: 700+ applications for harvest roles

This level of demand reflects HPA’s strong employer brand for casual harvest work.

Insights from our recent 2026 Casual Harvest Worker survey were equally positive:

62% were first-time harvest workers at HPA, highlighting the importance of effective supervision and induction
Supervisors received strong feedback for being visible, clear communicators, fair, and safety-focused
97% reported receiving satisfactory training and induction
97% felt safe working at HPA
95% would recommend working at HPA

These results are a credit to our teams and their efforts during a challenging harvest period.

Hops & Travel Program

The BarthHaas Hops & Travel Program enables emerging hop growers to gain experience in various regions. Recently, Anna, a grower from Germany’s Hallertau, spent four weeks assisting our Victorian farms during harvest, showcasing a strong work ethic and eagerness to learn from us. This program fosters knowledge sharing and supports the development of future talent in the hops industry