In the beginning of April, I attended a craft beer celebration at Beer Market in Christchurch. The spotlight brewery for the event was one I hadn’t heard of before: Hopfully. Upon reading the list of their beers which would be on draft for the night, I knew I liked them already. And by the end of the event, I was set on interviewing the brewers to hear about their journey to making craft beer.
Hopfully’s four core beers which were on draft that evening were unique and bursting with flavor: Carnavale, a guava and coconut wheat ale (4%); California Uncommon, a white IPA (5%); Sakura, their California common single-hop sorachi ale (5.4%); Graciosa, a refreshing IPA (5.3%).
However, this was merely a taste of Hopfully’s creativity. The main event for the night involved beer & food pairings led by two of the brewers themselves. It featured their most recent concoctions perfectly matched with delicious food made specifically for the evening. The beers we tasted included a pear and sage sour, and a white chocolate coconut and chilli wheat ale. Though all were tasty, my favorite was the chilli wheat ale, Baniwa Spring (5.3%). It was so different and so refreshing; a perfect balance of sweet and spicy.
With such exotic brews, it may be evident Hopfully’s brewers aren’t Irish. Cris & Junior are both from the south of Brazil, and Alberto is from Spain. Together, the three of them make the perfect team. Cris and Alberto both have degrees in engineering, so their focus is in formulating the beers. With Junior’s background in marketing, he was the ideal candidate to focus on the sales side of Hopfully. Their calling into craft beer couldn’t have been escaped even if they tried. They actually didn’t know one another when they first came to Ireland, and funny enough, met while working in IKEA. Through this job they became friends and soon realized they all shared the same passions for both food and beer. Seven years later, they have become partners in running a brewery.
Before the thought of starting a brewery, Cris & Junior were home brewing with the desire to create delicious beer that incorporated flavorful ingredients found in their favorite food dishes. This led them to host house parties in which they gathered their friends with different creative talents, and gave them an opportunity to display their work. Whether it be cooking, painting, drawing, or making music, these artists were able to set up their trade in different rooms of the house. Over a hundred of their friends would come to these house parties, where they would meet various artists and enjoy Cris & Junior’s home-brewed beer.
In 2016, the idea of starting their own brewery was just that – an idea. Cris had called up Alberto to share the idea, and without hesitancy, Alberto joined them in their brainstorming. So in 2017, their idea came to life after saying “hopefully” no more – and ‘Hopfully’ was launched.
From the beginning, the brewers wanted to support local artists: “We are dedicated to promoting artists and raising creative consciousness through the sociability of craft beer.” They’ve done this by continuing a similar tradition as with their house parties. Each month, they sponsor an art market, called Artfully, located at Lucky’s bar. At this market, there is a band or DJ who plays, and around fifteen artists who come to display and sell their art. Hopfully also commissions these artists to draw the posters for Artfully each month. It is usually these artists which the brewers choose to send in their designs for the Hopfully beer labels. This is what makes Hopfully’s cans so eccentric & colorful!
Hopfully also aims to make good beer with “an out of standard design, creative flair and unique personality.” They do this through using only the finest ingredients and, of course, a lot of passion! For example, their Baniwa chilli beer I mentioned earlier, is not just a delectable beer, but a beer with an incredible story. Earlier this year, Cris went to the Amazon and spent a week with the Baniwa, an Amazonian tribe. There, he met the people of the tribe and learned more about their culture. Cris was impressed by the quality and freshness of the various produce the tribe grew from fruits & vegetables to spices & herbs. In particular, Cris was drawn to Jiquitaia chilli peppers, only found in the Amazon and grown by the Baniwa. After trying various recipes with these peppers, Cris knew he had to experiment with the chilli himself. Once he found a balance with the spice, he knew it would make a great addition to Hopfully’s beers. The result was their Baniwachilli Saison, a refreshing, juicy and savoury brew made with pineapple juice, mint and the subtle, lingering tingle of the Baniwa chilli. Since this first saison, Hopfully has begun brewing a series of beers using the Jiquitaia chilli peppers. Their latest was the Baniwa Spring – brewed with vanilla and chillies and fermented in Belgian wheat, with cacao nibs and coconut added afterward.
What makes this beer even more impressive is that it gives back. A percentage of the proceeds made from the beer is donated directly back to the Baniwa community, through the OIBI (Indigenous Organisation of the Içana Basin), for their housing project. Hopfully truly wants to appreciate and support this tribe with their beer. They even made sure the Baniwa were shown the artwork for the Baniwachilli beer before it was made public. They really do keep the tribe involved each step of the way! To learn more and find out how to support the Baniwa tribe directly, check out Hopfully’s blog post.
Through creative innovation and quality ingredients, Hopfully’s craft beer gives drinkers one of the most flavorful experiences with every sip. They hope to continue releasing four new beers each year, as well as produce more cans and keep their sales consistent. Ultimately, their goal is to move out of Ireland and expand their market internationally. In the meantime, they have a few secret side jobs in the works!
Hopfully plans to release a line of sours soon. Until then, you can try their current core range in the following pubs in Dublin: Camden Exchange, Beer Market, Lucky’s, Wigwam, Square Ball, The Back Page, most Galway Bay Brew Pubs.
Fun Facts About Hopfully:
– Cris and Junior also worked at Boojum together. So maybe their newest beer will incorporate chorizo?? 😛
– When he isn’t doing his Hopfully duties, Junior enjoys playing paddle, and of course a pint with his mates!
– Though the Baniwa tribe can eat Jiquitaia chilli peppers raw, it is not for the weak-hearted! This pepper is so strong, only 12 grams of chilli is needed to flavor a 500L batch of beer!
– What are the brewers’ favorite Hopfully brews so far? Cris says right now he loves Sakura, and Junior says he really loved Beet Juice, a beetroot saison.
– When not drinking Hopfully, Cris’ beer of choice is Rustbucket by Kinnegar. Junior’s current favorite is Galaxy by Larkins, though you may also find him enjoying beers from Rascals, Whiplash, and Brewtonic.
To be the first in-the-know when Hopfully launches a new beer, sign up for their newsletter here, and be sure to follow them on Instagram (@hopfullybrewing)! If you’re interested in visiting the next Artfully market, be sure to follow their Facebook page to hear about the upcoming dates.
[All photos used with permission from Hopfully Brewing]