Hop Revolution

What Hop Revolution does

Hop Revolution Limited is a New Zealand-based independent hop grower founded in 2014 by plant scientist Dr Susan Wheeler and entrepreneur Terry McCashin. The company operates two farms — Tapawera and Kohatu — in the Motueka River Valley system on the South Island, cultivating nine hop varieties across 220 hectares and describing itself as one of New Zealand's largest independent hop growers. Its product portfolio spans eleven single hop varieties (including Nelson Sauvin, Pacific Sunrise, Motueka, Riwaka, and Moutere) available in both T90 pellet and CGX cryogenic lupulin pellet formats, plus two trademarked proprietary blends — Turkey's Pick and HopRev Blend — with full transparency on variety ratios and pick times.

The company's production approach centers on a "Pick Time Philosophy" that staggers harvest across a 10-day window for Nelson Sauvin, producing 20+ distinct harvest lots with differentiated aroma profiles (early, mid, and late picks). Processing relies on Wolf picking machines for high-purity hop cones and a computer-controlled Wolf drying system with louvred floors across three temperature/humidity zones. Agronomically, Hop Revolution leverages New Zealand's geographic isolation to use predator-mite biological pest control rather than routine pesticide application, and is Global G.A.P. accredited and FernMark certified for sustainability and provenance.

Commercially, Hop Revolution sells to global craft breweries through a multi-channel model: a direct US e-commerce storefront (shop.hoprevolution.com), four regional distributor partnerships (Crosby Hops in the USA, Loughran Brewers Select in the UK, Agronet Brewing in Spain/France, and Upper Left Co. in Japan), and direct sales to key craft accounts. The customer base includes both enterprise craft brewers (e.g., Block 15 Brewing, Allagash Brewing) and mid-market accounts (e.g., Wise Man Brewing, Common Space Brewing), with blend products specifically positioned as accessible gateway SKUs for smaller breweries. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investment beyond a small 2020 Callaghan Innovation grant.

Name

Hop Revolution

Legal name

Hop Revolution Limited

Website

https://hoprevolution.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hop farming and brewing ingredients

NAICS

Tobacco Farming (111910)

akta.pro primary industry

Hop Farming (AFAGAGAB)

Keywords

• Hop farming
• Craft brewing ingredients
• Hop pellet production
• New Zealand hops
• Cryogenic lupulin pellets

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hop Product Sales (T90 Pellets): Sale of conventional T90 hop pellets in various varieties including Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, Riwaka, Pacific Sunrise, Moutere, Kohatu, Rakau, Wai-iti, and Waimea.
2. CGX Cryogenic Lupulin Pellets: Sale of premium CGX cryogenic lupulin pellets - a higher-concentration hop product launched in partnership with Crosby Hops. Available in Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka, and Pacific Sunrise.
3. Proprietary Hop Blends: Sale of proprietary blends including Turkey's Pick (Riwaka, Moutere, Motueka) and HopRev Blend (Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, Pacific Sunrise, Riwaka).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hop Revolution is a New Zealand hop grower that cultivates 9 hop varieties across 220 hectares in the Motueka River Valley, processes them into T90 and CGX cryogenic lupulin pellets, and sells single-variety hops and two proprietary blends (Turkey's Pick and HopRev Blend) to craft breweries worldwide. Their offering is differentiated by a pick-time philosophy that produces 20+ harvest lots per variety, terroir-driven flavor diversity, and full transparency in blend composition.

Product overview

Hop Revolution is a New Zealand-based hop growing company offering a portfolio of 11 single hop varieties and 2 proprietary hop blends. The core products are single-variety hops available in T90 and CGX cryogenic lupulin pellet formats, including flagship varieties like Nelson Sauvin, Pacific Sunrise, Motueka, Riwaka, and Moutere. The product line is complemented by two premium blends—HopRev Blend and Turkey's Pick—expertly combined from select harvest lots of multiple varieties. The company emphasizes their pick-time philosophy and terroir-driven differentiation across their Tapawera and Kohatu farms in the Motueka River Valley system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Turkey's Pick: A powerhouse hop blend created with brewers' favorite hops consisting of Riwaka, Moutere and Motueka varieties. An expertly balanced New Zealand hazy IPA profile with citrus, tropical fruit and soft delicate dank profile.
• HopRev Blend

Products and services

• Nelson Sauvin Hop (T90 and CGX) Flagship single-variety New Zealand hop available in T90 and CGX cryogenic lupulin pellet formats, offered in 20+ harvest lots across early, mid, and late pick windows with aroma profiles ranging from lemon and cantaloupe to classic white wine and dank characteristics. Designed for craft brewers developing hop-forward beers.
• Turkey's Pick Blend Proprietary three-hop blend combining Riwaka, Moutere, and Motueka varieties, designed as a balanced New Zealand hazy IPA profile with citrus, big tropical fruit, and a soft delicate dank profile. Positioned as an accessible blend for both larger and smaller craft breweries.
• HopRev Blend Proprietary blend combining Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, Pacific Sunrise, and Riwaka varieties, delivering citrus, gooseberry, white wine grape, and soft berry undertones for a smooth New Zealand flavor expression in craft beer.
• Motueka Hop (T90 and CGX) Single-variety hop known as the 'Mojito' hop, offering fresh crushed citrus-lime flavor with tropical fruit salad character and hints of basil and rosemary. Available in T90 and CGX pellet formats.
• Kohatu Hop Single-variety tropical fruit punch hop providing complex resinous and tropical fruit flavors with melon and stonefruit notes, versatile for single-hop brews or combinations with other varieties.
• Moutere Hop Smooth high-alpha hop with intense passionfruit and grapefruit aromas and pine characteristics; originally launched as Brooklyn and renamed to Moutere (Maori for 'Island').
• Pacific Sunrise Hop Hop Revolution's signature hop variety since 2015, featuring lemon and orange citrus with tropical hits of melon and mango, stone fruit, and jammy sweetness. Hop Revolution was the first to plant Pacific Sunrise on a commercial scale.
• Rakau Hop Single-variety hop distinguished by exquisite apricot aromas and stone fruit characteristics, offering bold and vibrant fruity character paired with robust yet well-balanced bitterness for New World ales and lagers.
• Riwaka Hop Celebrated New Zealand hop variety known for bold grapefruit and sweet citrus character, with a balanced combination of alpha and beta acids suitable for dry-hopped Pale Ales and IPAs.
• Wai-iti Hop Low-alpha aroma hop offering lime, fresh peach, and apricot characters, suitable on its own or combined with other varieties to produce both delicate and bigger beer styles.
• Waimea Hop Dual-purpose hop with high alpha acids and aromatic oils suitable for all hop addition steps, featuring fruity tangerine, grapefruit citrus, and pine needle resinous characters as a finisher for big beers.
• CGX Cryogenic Lupulin Pellet Products Premium high-concentration cryogenic lupulin pellet format offered in partnership with Crosby Hops, available for Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka, and Pacific Sunrise varieties. Provides enhanced hop impact for craft brewers seeking intensified flavor.

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NBIC (National Barley分会)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026Hop Revolution joined with NBIC and other supply chain partners to advocate for USDA Agricultural Research Service funding on Capitol Hill, supporting the Resilient Barley Initiative.
• HGA (Hop Growers of America)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026Partnership with HGA for industry advocacy and Capitol Hill visits to ensure stable sources of high-quality barley and hops for beer production.
• HRC (Hop Research Council)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026HRC partnership for hop research advocacy, with combined visits to congressional offices and USDA administrators.
• Crosby HopscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrosby Hops serves as the US distributor for Hop Revolution hops. They partnered to launch New Zealand varietals in CGX cryogenic lupulin pellet format, making Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka, and Pacific Sunrise available in both T-90 and CGX formats.
• Agronet BrewingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgronet Brewing distributes Hop Revolution hops in Spain and France markets.
• Upper Left Co.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUpper Left Co. distributes Hop Revolution hops in Japan market.
• Loughran Brewers SelectcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLoughran Brewers Select distributes Hop Revolution hops in the United Kingdom market.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Charles Faram: UK-based hop merchant with proprietary varieties (e.g., Harlequin, Jester) developed with growers; comparable as a craft-focused hop merchandiser operating global farm programs and selling into UK/EU and export brewers.
• Yakima Chief Hops: Largest US-based hop grower cooperative supplying brewers globally; directly comparable as a hop grower/supplier serving craft brewers, with much greater scale and proprietary variety R&D that could eventually rival Hop Revolution's specialty positioning.
• BarthHaas: Global German-headquartered hop group covering breeding, growing, processing, and flavor products for brewers worldwide; represents the scale ceiling and R&D benchmark Hop Revolution must compete against.
• Hopsteiner: Global hop company with breeding programs, grower relationships, and processed hop products including advanced pellet and extract formats (e.g., HopHash, Cryo Hops); overlapping with Hop Revolution's CGX pellet and processed-product strategy at greater scale.

Direct peers

• Hop Products Australia (HPA): Australian specialty hop grower with proprietary varieties (e.g., Galaxy, Enigma, Vic Secret) targeting the same craft brewing customer base as Hop Revolution; closest direct competitor in Southern Hemisphere specialty hops.
• NZ Hops Limited: New Zealand's hop industry cooperative and the licensor of most varieties Hop Revolution sells; operates as both upstream supplier and direct competitor selling the same Nelson Sauvin and Motueka genetics to global brewers.
• Crosby Hops: US craft-focused hop merchant and Hop Revolution's US distribution partner for the CGX pellet launch; serves the same craft brewery segment with both proprietary and third-party varieties including NZ genetics.
• Indie Hops: US craft-focused hop company developing and supplying proprietary aroma varieties to craft brewers; comparable in positioning as a smaller, specialty/variety-driven supplier rather than a commodity grower.

Regional players

• Lippman Hop Farm / Samuel Adams hops program (Boston Beer): Boston Beer's proprietary hop program (including experimental varieties) integrates forward into brewing; relevant as an illustration of how craft brewers vertically integrate hop sourcing, a directional risk for Hop Revolution's customer relationships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hoprevolutionnz

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hop Revolution