In today's world, people of similar interests have several opportunities to interact with each other via social media. I've been able to connect with beer friends all across the country, even world, through the interweb. One of these people is Jeff Perkins. While at Hop and Brew School in Yakima last September, I met up with Jeff for a beer to chat about his business, Yakima Valley Hops. Five months later, I made a trip back out to see first hand what Jeff and his business partner John Snyder had been up to.
Walking into YVH's unique warehouse space, I loved the sheik industrial feel they had created. Walls were lined with homebrew supplies, everything from brewing kits to malt extracts to flavorings to adjuncts. Exposed wood beams within this open floor plan only added to the ambiance. Obviously, what caught my attention were the two large refrigerators filled to the brim with hops. In fact, hops are the reason why Jeff got into the homebrew business.
TGB: How did this all come about?
YVH: We got started by seeing potential in an underserved market in Yakima and [with] home brewers [and] craft brewers world wide. I started selling [hops] on eBay and created the [web]site. We secured a warehouse in a unique part of Yakima and opened our doors this month.
TGB: How was the response to selling hops on eBay?
YVH: It was paramount to starting my business. I started selling on eBay and quickly realized the demand for bulk hops. I used the captial from eBay to create a brand and a website. I [had] even met a few people in parking lots for [hop] pickups.
TGB: So if hop selling was going so well, why get into the homebrew supply business?
YVH: The homebrew store was a natural next step. In Yakima, there wasn't a local all inclusive homebrew store and we decided to create one.
TGB: That surprises me since we are in the middle of hop country.
YVH: Exactly. We hope to create a craft brew destination and be a catch all for all hop related tourism.
TGB: Sounds like this area needed it. What are your next steps?
YVH: Our next steps are to increase our online presence with every hop variety, and introduce homebrew supplies at some of the best prices. Also, we look to expand our hop importing and exporting to serve the pico/nano brew market. Finally, we hope to open up a tasting room with rotating taps from local breweries.
Huge thanks to Jeff for taking the time to chat about his new endeavor. By the looks of it, Yakima Valley Hops has this market cornered. Be sure to check them out the next time you are over in Eastern Washington, definitely worth the trip!
Sweet article. My boy Jeff is going places. Very proud of him and wish him many, many successes.
ReplyDelete