Expert line-up for Hāpi Symposium 2023

A line-up of some of the world’s best brewers and hop scientists will be taking part in the Hāpi Symposium in Wellington next month.

First launched in 2019, the Hāpi Symposium aims to connect local breweries with international experts and will take place at Te Papa on Friday 24 March.

It is run by Hāpi Research, a partnership between Garage Project, Freestyle Hops and MPI with an industry-led group of hop growers, breweries, research institutions and universities.

Coinciding with the annual hop harvest, organisers say that the Hāpi Symposium will offer a day of talks from the world’s best brewers, industry leaders, scientists, hop farmers and guest presenters.

Speakers from the USA include Laura Burns of Omega Yeast, Alex Nowell of CLS Farms and brewers Jeremy Moynier of Stone Brewing, Sam Richardson of Other Half Brewing, Evan Price of Green Cheek Brewing, Steve Luke of Cloudburst Brewing and Scott Janish of Sapwood Cellars, alongside local brewers and hop experts.

Garage Project & Hāpi Research Co-Founder Jos Ruffell says that the hop industry in New Zealand is experiencing strong growth, driven by new farms entering the market, and underpinned by growing interest from top breweries around the world.

He says the Hāpi Symposium is therefore an important event for the brewing industry in New Zealand. “We are incredibly lucky to have some of the best brewers in the world coming down to New Zealand to be part of this event. It's a time to showcase what's new in hops, and to hear from speakers that excel in their fields. It’s a bonus that it coincides with both the annual New Zealand hop harvest, and one of Wellington’s biggest street festivals, Cupa Dupa.” 

The Hāpi Research project was initiated by Garage Project and Freestyle Farms and its main focus is hop breeding and developing a market programme to drive the growth of craft beer and hop farming in New Zealand.

Hāpi Symposium tickets are on sale now at Eventbrite.  

W: hapi.co.nz