Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), a 100% grower-owned global hop supplier, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Riel as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. A longtime community member and owner of Double ‘R’ Hop Ranches, Riel brings a wealth of Board experience, industry knowledge, and a shared passion for sustainability, innovation, and community impact.
Unlike traditional fresh hops, which are extremely sensitive to time and temperature, Cryo Fresh provides flexibility within a brewer’s schedule. Freshly harvested, un-kilned, whole cone hops go through a patented cryogenic lupulin separation process to preserve the delicate oils and volatile aromas. The result is a concentrated pellet of bright, green, peak-season fresh hop notes, without the bulk, mess, or hassle of fresh whole cones.
YCH Chief Operations Officer Karl Vanevenhoven played a key role in bringing Cryo Fresh to life. “Fresh Hop beers are my favorite style—nothing else even comes close. So, we poured our hearts into reimagining how brewers can access this just-picked hop character year-round,” he shares. Turning fresh hops into Cryo hops was not an easy undertaking. “We set out on a mission with Loftus Ranches to develop a more cost-efficient freezing process and make Cryo Fresh a commercial reality. I am so proud that we can offer five varieties this year!”
Together with Loftus Ranches, the freezing process of the just-picked hops was refined and simplified. “Fresh hop beers hold a very special place in a very crowded beverage world. But historically, fresh hops and the beers they make have only been reachable by a small segment of brewers and their loyal customers,” says Patrick Smith, CEO of Loftus Ranches. Now, with Cryo Fresh unlocking expanded availability, he is excited to share that unmistakable field fresh flavor with more hop enthusiasts worldwide. “As a fresh hop absolutist, working with the YCH team to offer a convenient format, allowing for greater accessibility to beer drinkers around the globe, is a dream come true.”
Thanks to its Cryo® pellet form, Cryo Fresh integrates seamlessly with a dry hop addition, maximizing its aromatic potential. Consider that one 22-cubic-foot cherry bin holds 65 pounds of freshly picked hops, but with Cryo Fresh, that same lupulin load fits into just two 11-pound boxes. “Dry hopping with wet hops felt like a contradiction,” says Vanevenhoven. “We had no choice but to invest in developing Cryo Fresh. You get all the same benefits of Cryo Hops, lower shipping weight, reduced footprint, less trub, with the added punch of unmistakable fresh hop flavor.”
YCH is excited to offer Cryo Fresh internationally, creating bold new flavor possibilities for brewers and beer lovers around the world. For brewers trying to meet fresh hop competition entry deadlines, YCH recommends selecting early-pick varieties. For the 2025 crop year, Simcoe® and Sabro® will be harvested in the early pick window, while Citra®, Mosaic®, and Krush™ will be picked later. Pre-orders will be available exclusively through a pre-order request process and will be ready to ship immediately after production, however, hop harvest follows nature’s timeline, causing pick window variability.
All pre-order requests must be submitted no later than July 31st, 2025. Pre-order requests may be submitted directly here. For more details, contact your sales representative directly or reach out to hops@yakimachief.com.
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SOURCE: Yakima Chief Hops (Press Release)
PHOTO CREDIT: Yakima Chief Hops