A new aroma hop variety from Backi Petrovac for craft breweries
Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia, Mini Grant, 51815, 2022-2023
Manager: Igor Djuris, pharm-ADVICE Ltd
Participant: Dr. Jelena M. Aleksic
Rapidly growing craft brewing industry depends ultimately on the chemical composition of hop (Humulus lupulus) inflorescences, called hop cones, as an essential ingredient determining beer flavors, exclusivity and uniqueness, that are highly valued by craft beer consumers with sophisticated taste worldwide.
In 2021, the value of hops harvested worldwide was ~€900M. The largest hop producers are the US and Germany, where the development of new hop varieties is the multimillion $ business of hop producing companies (e.g. Yakima Chief, Barth Haas) and/or research institutions (e.g. Hops Breeding Company, US). Out of the 286 hop varieties registered in 2019 (International Hop Growers Convention), those developed in the last decade account for up to 36% of current hop production. The global demand for the development & usage of new hop varieties is mainly due to the global increase in the number of craft breweries, which aim to offer consumers exclusive beers of unique taste.
In Serbia, 3 international & 3 local hop varieties are registered, and grown today at ~8 ha. Hop breeding, however, ceased in 1990s. The main goal of our project is to develop a new aroma hop variety from currently untapped hop gene pool, for the production of an exclusive and unique beer that will be initially produced locally, by domestic craft breweries, but with the potential to expand the production to regional & global scales.
Our success is founded in the well-known fact that local wild & semi-wild hops are better adapted to local climate, have better yields and resistance to pests/diseases, as well as grossly unexplored but potentially very valuable chemical composition of cones, needed for craft brewing industry. We will clonally propagate ~20 wild & semi-wild hops from Vojvodina, assess the chemical composition of their cones in respect to relevant compounds determining beer quality & exclusivity, and produce beer in local craft breweries, which will be evaluated by consumers & professionals. Hop plants giving the best beer will be compared at the genomic level with the international & local varieties, using SNP genomic markers, to obtain their unique genetic profile, needed for the protection of plant breeders’ rights and trademark. They will be registered as a new aroma hop variety, with Protected Designation of Origin, and used for breeding & further development of new hop varieties.