USA, WA: Hopsteiner announces partnership with independent hop growers CLS Farms

Hopsteiner announced in August a new partnership with one of Washington’s independent hop growers. The company says that for the first time it has expanded some of its proprietary varieties to an outside grower, CLS Farms. It is the first agreement to give a grower full marketing, selling, and distributing rights for these four proprietary varieties: Sultana, Lotus, Calypso, and Altus.

For six generations, Hopsteiner has grown, bred, traded, and processed hops. It is a vertically integrated, international company that supplies hops and hop products to breweries around the world. Its proprietary varieties include Trident, Helios, Eureka, Calypso, LemonDrop, Lotus, Sultana, and others.

CLS Farms is a fifth-generation, independent hop grower in Moxee, Washington. It is now licensed to grow and market four of Hopsteiner’s proprietary hop varieties: Sultana, Lotus, Calypso, and Altus. This agreement is the first time Hopsteiner has expanded these varieties to an outside grower. The agreement with CLS Farms gives Hopsteiner the ability to expand its market reach and distribution of these varieties beginning with this coming crop year. For brewers, it expands access to these varieties.

“We are delighted to grow our relationship with CLS Farms as we expand our variety offerings,” said Will Roy, grower relations manager at Hopsteiner. “Like us, CLS Farms is a multigenerational hop-growing family that shares a passion for innovation and quality,”

Hopsteiner says that all four varieties exemplify higher yields and alpha acids, along with a strong capacity to withstand viral pressure. These traits lend themselves to growers being able to produce hops more efficiently on a per-acre basis. In an era of climate change, increased viral pressures, and higher inflation, hop varieties able to withstand these forces result in more stability for the brewing industry.

“CLS Farms is excited to have access to a portfolio of Hopsteiner proprietary varieties,” said Shelley Desmarais, co-owner of CLS Farms. “We were drawn to the Hopsteiner breeding program for its focus on high-yielding, efficient hop varieties. This will be the first time these varieties have been grown in the Moxee growing region. Our ability to grow and market these varieties will greatly expand CLS Farms’ varietal footprint that it is able to offer to customers.”