“The Kiwi hop industry has really focused on what flavours people are chasing in their beers.”

Demand for New Zealand’s hops has been soaring in recent years, with old varieties revitalised, new ones hitting a sweet spot in the current market, and innovative products coming thick and fast.

While in the Nelson region for the 2026 harvest, The Crafty Pint team visited a number of farms and processing facilities, recording interviews as we went. The aim was to capture a snapshot not just of this crucial time of year for growers, but also various facets of the industry.

This episode features three guests, starting with Andrew Sutherland of Oasthouse Hops, a farmer who switched from wine to hops around a decade ago. We talk terroir and timing, the intense nature of managing two farms at harvest, growing experimental hops as part of NZ Hops Bract Brewing Programme, and his love for Nelson Sauvin.

Next up is Lauren Yap, who started out brewing in Portland, Oregon, switched between wine and beer for a while, then ended up in New Zealand. These days, she leads all things quality and innovation at Clayton Hops, one of the country’s largest growers, trialling new hops on their tiny but hi-tech pilot system,  assisting their sales team and brewers, and when we rocked up, fixing a forklift...

Wrapping things up is Dave Dunbar, another American who married a Kiwi and ended up in the Nelson region. He’s the CEO of Freestyle Hops, which has been at the forefront when it comes to innovation and experimentation as they seek new flavours and aromas from existing varietals, explore how different hops perform in different regions, and create their own advanced hop products.

Taken together, we hope the interviews paint a broad picture of a booming industry at its most hectic time of year.

Back in Melbourne, Will and James kick off the show with a reflection on the second half of their NZ trip as well as the latest features to land on Crafty: a deep dive into identifying flavours and aromas in your beer; a new listing for Venom Brewing Taproom on the former site of Mrs Parma’s; and the return of The 86 Tram Crafty Crawl.

We also preview some upcoming events: a cellar deep dive for Cabal members at 3 Ravens; the first ever Pint of Origin Festival Launch Party; and the return – in a new form – of the Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival.

Start of Segments

• 0:00 – The Week On Crafty
• 16:25 – Andrew Sutherland
• 32:53 – Lauren Yap
• 41:41 – Bowimi ft On Tap
• 47:33 – Dave Dunbar

To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact [email protected].