Garston Hops holding a special Open Day this week

It’s only a hop, skip and a jump from Queenstown and Garston Hops is welcoming anyone interested in visiting its rapidly growing 15 hectare hop gardens to a special open day this week (Wednesday, January 18).

What started over a beer for Garston farmer James McNamee prior to the first experimental plantings in 2016, has grown into what is believed to be the southern most commercial hop gardens, and Southland’s first.

With sheep farming not as lucrative as it once was, James and the McNamee farming family decided to try hop growing on their Garston farm, which has been in the family for 140 years. “We looked to diversify, and the hops seem to really like the climate here,” says James’ wife Lizette.

Bohemia in the Czech Republic, Kent in England and Oregon, USA, all grow great hops abundantly. “We are all above Latitude 41, which Nelson is, so we thought we’d give it a try.” The hops responded well and love the longer daylight hours and totally shut down during winter, loving the cooler frosts, says James.

Garston Hops already supplies a number of breweries locally with Altitude Brewing first off the ranks using its hops since the first commercial production in 2018, trialling the year before.. Named New Zealand’s champion small brewery in 2021 with a haul of 12 medals, Altitude uses mostly Garston Hops for its craft beers. The McNamees also sell their hops to Canyon Brewing, Rhyme x Reason and Ground Up Brewing, 4 Mates in Invercargill, and Otago Brew School in Cromwell, with production being ramped up each year as the plantings mature and new gardens are added. Emerson’s also did a collaboration brew, Boyz II Menzies, with Altitude in December using Garston Hops.

Garston Hops grows its own one of a kind hop terroir and just as with wines that creates a distinct local flavour.
Altitude Brewing founder and brewer Eliott Menzies says the Garston Hops are quite punchy and expressive, full of more oils and flavour than in the north. “That’s the terroir, plus the care and love of the farming process,” he says. “Their hops have more aroma and flavour.”

“The terroir is so much better for growing hops here and that’s showing through. The hops are really responding to our growing conditions in the south. They’re more suited to the conditions where the rest of the world grows them, responding to long days and cooler nights,” says Eliott.

The local ‘story’ is also a big attraction for Altitude. People want to taste ‘local’. “We’re really interested in supporting our local economy by using as much grain and hops from around here as we can. This is pretty much the only region outside Nelson to produce commercial hops which is fantastic.” Another bonus in sourcing locally is the ability to select rows to be picked earlier or later depending on what’s the best quality for the beer they’re making.

“We’re now fully contracted on all of our New Zealand hops to Garston Hops, buying one and a half tonne a year, and we’ll increase that as production ramps up,” says Eliott.

Plantings take three years to full yield, but it’s a crop that combines nicely as a dual purpose with sheep farming, says Lizette. “There are only three months in the early stages of the hop maturing that you can’t have sheep grazing in among the plants.”

The Garston Hops team is hoping to attract other farmers and local landowners to tomorrow’s (January 18) open day to attract more growers to the southern industry. “We’re really keen to help other people to grow hops on their land too and show them what we’ve learned,” she says.

The McNamees are hoping to expand into more hop production on their own farm and eventually build a bigger hop processing facility on their property to help other growers.

The biggest hurdle in getting established, once they realised the crops were successful, was raising the capital for the infrastructure, says James.

There’s been keen interest in tomorrow’s (January 18) free event being held at the Garston Catholic Church with 120 people already registered by Thursday last week (January 12). It kicks off with a talk about why the McNamees are growing hops and why it’s a good business option, as well as the current pressures on farmers. That’s followed by a 2pm tour of the hop gardens and farm, and then a barbecue.

If you are interested in attending please register on Garston Hops Facebook or Instagram, or email: hello@garstonhops.co.nz