Introducing Strata® Cryo Hops® and the story behind it
There’s a lot of scientific work involved in selectively breeding and creating a new hop variety, but the basic concept of crossbreeding is something most folks learned about in high school biology class. The legal process behind hop breeding is a bit trickier to comprehend. Take Strata®, for example.
The Oregon State University (OSU) Aroma Hop Breeding Program developed a new hop variety, Strata, which was officially introduced in 2018. OSU holds the agricultural patent on Strata. Indie Hops is the primary commercial partner that helped develop and bring Strata to market. Strata is a registered trademark managed by Indie Hops.
Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) is a global hop supplier that delivers all the work mentioned above to consumers, providing the brewing industry with a source of hops and hop products. Back in 2022, YCH received a patent for its Cryo Hops® technology, a cryogenic hop-processing method that separates whole cones (hop flowers) into two components—concentrated lupulin and bract. The concentrated lupulin is then used to create the product that goes into the beer. The most important thing for consumers to know is that Cryo hops offer brewers the same flavor and aroma as regular hops, but in a denser, intensified form.
Not all hop varieties have names that include the ®. Learn more about public hop varieties here.
And with that, Yakima Chief Hops and Indie Hops are happy to introduce Strata® Cryo Hops®. Here is the press release making the official introduction.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Yakima Chief Hops and Indie Hops Unveil Strata® Cryo Hops®
YAKIMA, WA: Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), a global leader in innovation, has joined forces with Oregon-based Indie Hops to introduce a new offering to brewers: Strata® Cryo Hops®. Following the success of Strata® HyperBoost™, the two hop suppliers expanded their partnership to give brewers more choices of Indie’s popular Strata® variety.
“Continuing to work with Indie Hops feels natural thanks to their passion, expertise, and dedication to quality. It’s rewarding to work with a partner who shares our commitment to innovation and supporting growers,” says YCH Chief Customer Strategy Officer Bryan Pierce. “This collaboration is a perfect example of our commitment to creating high-quality, sustainable products that showcase the incredible work our growers put into every field. Now we can bring that same level of focus to the many brewers who rely on Strata to elevate their beers.”
Indie Hops CEO, Jim Solberg, shared his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “With Strata continuing to prove its merits in hop-driven beers worldwide, teaming up with YCH to make our flagship variety available in Cryo®, their industry-leading pellet form, is a natural step in Strata’s evolution. Brewers have tremendous confidence in Cryo concentrated pellets, so with Strata Cryo available beginning with crop 2025, we’re looking forward to expanded bursts of Strata’s magical flavors.”
Strata, now available in Cryo form, amplifies the celebrated signature profile of passion fruit, grapefruit, strawberry, and cannabis while reducing vegetal matter. Cryo pellets, created through YCH’s patented cryogenic process of separating the lupulin and bract of whole cones, deliver concentrated aroma and flavor.
Strata Cryo is a must-have for brewers pushing the boundaries of modern flavor, offering a clean and powerful expression of the beloved variety. To purchase Strata Cryo, contact your YCH sales representative, Indie Hops, or order through the YCH customer portal.
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