They’re the female flowers from the plant humulus lupulus. They’re the artichoke-looking ingredient that gives beer a bitter and aromatic flavours. And now, they’re the latest crop being grown in BC as part of a flourishing craft beer industry.
“We want Lillooet to be the hops capital of Canada – that’s our goal,” says Sam Quinlan, co-owner of Bitterbine Hop Company who, with his partner Tim Hazard, has been working hard since 2009 to build one of the only commercial organic hop farms in BC.
With two acres right now and possibly four to five in the near future, Bitterbine grows 15 varieties of hops, each type with its own unique aroma and flavour, acting as the “spice of beer.”
Quinlan and Hazard say the uniqueness of their hops is the product of healthy organic farming as well as of the fertile environment they are grown in.
Sustainability and quality
Up the coast in the picturesque community of Gibsons, Persephone Brewing Company began growing their own hops not only to improve the quality of their beer, but to make it more sustainable too.
“We’re growing our own hops in order to produce a high-quality craft beer, which is ultimately what the customer wants from us, and managing our waste products responsibly, and so on and so forth,” says Dion Whyte, Persephone’s general manager. “What we’re trying to do is create an awesome experience for our employees, for the customer who comes in and can’t wait to come back, and also for the community.”
Growing demand
With the rising popularity of craft beer and more and more craft breweries popping up around BC, Hazard says it’s hard to keep up with the increasing demand.
“Microbreweries are popping up everywhere in Vancouver right now,” he says. “They need an edge. We want to provide an interesting, quality product to brewers, and the majority of them are interested in buying at least some for specialty batches or even as a mainstay.”
-With files from Lillooet News and Coast Reporter
