Our Annual Fresh Hop Pilgrimage

There’s something about fresh hop day that feels a bit like Christmas for brewers — early start, buzzing energy, and the kind of anticipation you can’t fake. At 9am, we left the Cardrona brewery, headed south through misty hills and low-hanging clouds. Rikki and Zoe (first-timers on hop duty) rode shotgun while Kit — seasoned fresh hop fiend — grinned like he was on a school trip.

We arrived at Garston Hops and were greeted by the legendary father-son duo, James and James Junior, who welcomed us with high-vis vests and a tour through rows of lush, fragrant vines. We walked through towering tunnels of Motueka and Rakau, crushing cones between our fingers, sticky with lupulin and wide-eyed at the sheer intensity of aroma. There’s nothing like that smell — sharp citrus, stone fruit, pine — straight from the source. Kit gave the newbies a crash course in hop wisdom, backed by tips from James Jr. himself.

Then came one of the real highlights — a visit to the mill, and a joyful reunion with Hops the dog, who we first met as a tiny pup two years ago and is now full-grown member of the team. With 20 bags of freshly picked hops packed tight (and a few suspiciously nestled in the back seat for “aromatic purposes”), we made our way home.

It’s a day that reminds us why we do what we do — fresh ingredients, epic people, and beers that tell a story from the ground up. Until next year, Garston.