In 1985, after a few years of home brewing experimentation, Randy Lawrence began growing hops in his back yard to enhance his brewing recipes and flavours. Originally ordered from Oregon State, USA; including a handful of different hop varieties, most notably Cascade and Fuggles. After 25 years of growing, starting in his back yard, to cottage, and now Sea Level Hop Farm. Randy has grown fond of using his own hops in his own beers as much as he possibly can. In 1995, while brewing for Paddy’s Pub in Kentville, N.S., Randy was the first to produce a Dry Hopped beer in Atlantic Canada, as well as the first Wet Hopped beer derived from his own Annapolis Valley grown hops.
Over the years Randy has developed his beginner love for growing hops, to catching National attention by Taps Magazine in 2009. Now expanding outside his own property, Randy has grown partnerships with Josh Herbin of Lazy Acres Hop Farm and local Annapolis Valley farmer Matt Harvey. Providing Randy with enough yield to produce the Sea Level – New Scotland Heather Ale, the as the first commercially brewed and bottled Wet Hopped beer in Atlantic Canada.
In September of 2010, Randy grew and harvested the first collaboratively brewed beer in Atlantic Canada. Teaming up with Propeller Brewery for the “Alpha%Dog Wet Hopped Collaboration Brew”; as the first 100% Annapolis Valley harvested wet hopped beer – with over 100 lbs. of Cascade and Willamette Sea Level Hops.
This year, we’ve utilized the first Maritime Malts developed in New Brunswick for our Bitterdaze IPA and the New Scotland Heather Ale. The Heather Ale being especially important as its brewed exclusively with NB Maritime Malts, Nova Scotia grown Heather, and our Sea Level Hops – 100% LOCAL!
