An inspiring trip to Germany

At a hop farm in Elsedorf, Hallertau.

Our team - Rob, Dave & Jim - just returned from a busy, productive and very inspirational four days in the Munich area.

There were two primary purposes for the trip: to make connections with hop growers & suppliers so we could go deeper on sourcing the finest quality German hops for our lagers.

The second was to investigate a lead on an automated brewhouse for a planned upgrade at Nod Hill. 

In many ways we are embarking on a new chapter at Nod Hill and the timing of this travel felt very fortunate.

Being immersed in one of the world’s best & most longstanding beer cultures was incredibly inspiring. From visiting historic breweries to touring hop farms to drinking perfect Helles lager at a mountaintop Biergarten, we hope to bring a lot back from this trip that we can share at the brewery - ideas, inspiration, feeling, as well as some things that are much more tangible.

Nod Hill has always been about brewing beers that bring people together. After eight years of steady growth, it’s time to take the next step. Over the next several months, we’ll be making thoughtful upgrades that give our team even more flexibility and precision in the brewing process—so that every beer we make continues to reflect the care and creativity people expect from Nod Hill. With more people visiting the taproom and more accounts asking for our beer, we feel

this is the right moment to invest in our future and place product quality at the forefront.

Please enjoy a photo diary of our trip below.

Hop selection at the proHops office in Freising.

Head Brewer Rob Bollard enjoying the Hallertau-Mittelfruh hops at Seitz Farm.

Florian from Seitz Farm takes us on a tour of his hop farm & processing facility.

Sampling hops at Seitz Farm

Our tour leaders & brewery consultants Andreas Wagner & Andreas Miller from proBrau & proHops.

Enjoying a perfect Helles lager in a Biergarten at the top of Hochfelln mountain.

Late night jam session with Dave & Rob

Amazing meal at the Augustiner Keller.

Checking out the 10hL automated brewhouse.

Hop fields in Hallertau

Jim & Rob enjoying lagers at the Biergarten Viktualienmarkt near the Marienplatz in Munich.

The Augustiner Keller - a breathtaking Biergarten with a capacity for 5,000 drinkers. Our unanimous favorite spot for a Maß of Helles and hearty Bavarian fare.