Targeted diversification in the Ontario hop value chain for application in the brewing industry

Lead Applicant: George van der Merwe

Research Priority: Innovative Products & Product Improvement

Program Type: Tier 1

Funding Cycle: 2023/2024

Research Centre: NA

Research Summary: The local hop industry is competing with imported hops for market space in the brewing sector. A detailed understanding of the local hop industry is pivotal to positioning itself better with local brewers as its primary consumer and developing a sustainable strategic plan. It is well-known that terroir impacts bittering and flavour components in hops; this information is absent for Ontario hops that span seven distinct growth regions. Detailed characterizations of these components for locally grown hops by growth region and its transition into beer are lacking. This project aims to fill that gap since such information will be critically important for (1) future decisions in the expansion of the industry, (2) fostering brewer-grower collaborations, and (3) exploring future alternate revenue streams such as hop extracts and its application in the local industry. Finally, we propose an economic evaluation of the local hops value chain to provide financial insight into such diversification.