Character: fine hoppy, citrus, fruity
Beer style: Lager, Pilsner, IPA, Ale
We are a global distributor of the best Czech hops
We have been trading Czech hops for almost two decades, and we are currently on the first rank among European growers. We achieved this, thanks to the fact that we are self-sufficient in the entire production cycle of hops: from breeding, seedlings and cultivation to drying, final processing and storage. Our six varieties are dominated by Žatec semi-early red hop (SAAZ), which we supply to the most famous domestic and international breweries.
We grow hops exclusively in the Czech Republic on a record area of 700 hectares.
We take care of the environment and implement regenerative growing practices that are key to the sustainable future of hops.
20 years ago we started as a greenfield. Today we are one of the biggest global players in the hop industry.
Our home is Žatec, the heart of Czech hop growing
We grow our own hops exclusively in the Žatec (Saaz) region, under the brand CHMEL spol. s.r.o., then we obtain other high-quality hops from more than thirty verified and reliable suppliers from Žatec (Saaz), Auscha and Trschitz regions. Žatec is historically one of the most important hop-growing localities, both in our country and in the world, which was recently recognized by the listing of this landscape and its hop-growing on the Unesco World Heritage List. We are thus continuing a tradition, that is more than one thousand years old.
Our varieties
In our offer you will find 6 Czech varieties of hops and various methods of their processing. We grow on almost 700 hectares, and the largest areas are intended for the world-famous and sought-after Žatec semi-early red hop (SAAZ), which comes from original stands. We carefully monitor our breeding procedures and the crossing of individual varieties.
How we grow
Healthy soil is essential, which is why we have been trying to return nutrients to our soil naturally for the last decade. We are abandoning the old ways of farming, where the soil is ploughed in autumn and the nutrients succumb to frost in winter, only to have to be replenished artificially in spring.
- Introducing
Clockwise on the wire two or three of the strongest hop shoots are wound on the wire, the remaining ones are mechanically plucked. As close as possible to the shoot, the hop guide wire is then placed to guide the plant.
- Growth
During June and July the hops grow after the guide wire. The young plant is susceptible to pests, so it is treated against aphids, silkworms and leafhoppers, and possibly against peronospora or hop leafhoppers.
- Harvest
At the beginning of August, the first heads are analysed for bitter substances. The growth is then used to estimated the start of the harvest. This usually falls at the end of August and the first half of September. Plants are picked from the hop fields and the heads are sorted on combing machines.
- Drying
The hops are dried in chamber or belt dryers until they contain about 10 % moisture. It is then pressed into 50-55 kg rectangular bales. Within 48 hours it must be transported to a climate-controlled warehouse where it is stored at a temperature of 2-4 °C.
- Processing
Hops are processed into rectangular bales, hop pucks, 90 or 45 granules according to demand. They are stored in a climate-controlled warehouse before dispatch.
- Storage
All our products, i.e. hop pucks, granulated hops, hop extract or dried hop heads, are stored at a temperature of ±2°C from the moment of drying the hops until the dispatch of the finished products, which guarantees high and constant quality. We also keep samples of all batches in the warehouse for possible subsequent inspection.
Arix Czech Hop
Behind the establishment of ARIX CZECH HOP group is the effort to help to preserve Czech hops, a world-famous crop from the region where the founders of the company worked all their lives. In addition to the domestic market, we also export Žatec hops to six continents. We have significant customers in more than ten countries around the world, and if we include small customers, we export hops to more than 25 countries.
ARIX CZECH HOP is completely unique in its comprehensive approach to growing hops, which starts with the soil. We are literally going back to our roots and continuing the traditional agricultural practices from the time of our grandparents. For such an approach, we could not have chosen any other region than the Žatec hop region (Saaz), which is truly a legendary term in the field – the first mention of hop cultivation in Žatec dates back to 1004. ARIX CZECH HOP is thus committed to growing the world’s best hops for more than a thousand years of history and pride that we can continue this unique tradition.
The ARIX CZECH HOP group is the world’s largest producer of Žatec semi-early red hops – hops that give beer its typical balanced taste and aroma. ARIX CZECH HOP is a proud part of the Žatec region and the city of Žatec, and generously supports local projects that aim to maintain awareness of the glorious history of this unique hop region.
Tradition hand in hand with innovation
We believe to the principles of regenerative agriculture, adapted to the conditions of hop cultivation, with one goal: to preserve the quality of the crop, which is necessary for the production of traditional Czech and world beer. In practice, this means that we are abandoning the traditional way of managing the soil and we are trying to retain the nutrients in it and return them to the soil in accordance with natural soil processes.
We use state-of-the-art technologies, such as sensors in the soil or weather stations on hop farms, which help us evaluate the benefits of regenerative agriculture for hop growth. We thus connect the ideas of our ancestors with the latest findings of contemporary science.
One of our primary goals is to be able to adapt to inevitable climate change without compromising our commitment to sustainability.
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