In the heart of the Himalayas, where tradition meets innovation, YAK Brewing Company (aka Barahsinghe Beer Company) has carved out a reputation as Nepal’s pioneering force in craft beer.
Founded in 2016 by a group of friends determined to offer high-quality alternatives to the limited local beer selection, YAK Brewing is located in Kurintar near Chitwan. The brewery operates both a production facility and the Yak Biergarten, Nepal’s first beer-themed garden, and is recognized internationally for its balance of technical precision, stylistic diversity, and it’s sustainability-driven ethos.
YAK’s flagship brand, Barahsinghe, named after the endangered swamp deer (Barasingha), reflects the company’s commitment to environmental awareness, responsible sourcing, and sustainable brewing practices.
The Challenge: Traditional Dry-Hopping Meets Modern Brewing Demands
Many of YAK’s offerings adhere to traditional brewing standards such as the German Purity Law, while embracing modern craft trends that appeal to both local drinkers and export markets. Their flagship Barahsinghe Pilsner, Nepal’s first dry-hopped beer, was already a success, but the team wanted to push its sensory and operational performance even further while maintaining these standards.
Dry hopping with traditional hop pellets, while effective in delivering bold aromas, came with trade-offs:
- Inconsistent aroma performance
- Significant beer loss due to hop solids
- Operational inefficiencies and separation problems
These challenges threatened not only the sensory quality of Barahsinghe Pilsner but also the scalability of YAK’s brewing operations. To overcome them, YAK turned to BarthHaas for a targeted, high-impact solution.
“By identifying the initial level of aroma hop consumption, we can demonstrate the potential for reducing usage by up to 90%” explains Lennart Paul-Pax of the Barth Haas Technical Solutions team. “This significant reduction does not compromise flavour or aroma, but rather highlights the efficiency gains achievable through modern hop products and dosing techniques”.
“For brewers, this translates into lower raw material costs, improved brewhouse yields and more sustainable resource use. In markets where margins are tight and ingredient costs can fluctuate significantly due to imports, achieving the same sensory impact with a fraction of the hop volume provides a substantial competitive advantage. Ultimately, reducing aroma hop consumption while maintaining beer quality is a strategic decision that strengthens both profitability and long-term sustainability.”
The Collaboration: Remote Innovation with BarthHaas
Travelling to Nepal proved to be a the first challenge of the partnership, so a fully digital collaboration between YAK Brewing and BarthHaas was engaged upon. The process unfolded in four strategic phases:
- Analysis: YAK Brewing shared production data and outlined their pain points. BarthHaas’s Brewing Solutions Team conducted a remote assessment, focusing on dry hopping inefficiencies and aroma degradation.
- Conception: Leveraging internal brewing trials and thesis research, BarthHaas proposed a tailored solution using Spectrum – a cutting-edge liquid hop product. The team calculated optimal oil concentrations and dosing strategies to suit YAK’s setup.
- Implementation: Through virtual guidance, BarthHaas supported YAK Brewing in integrating Spectrum into their process. This included: Precise dosing protocols, Timing adjustments, Sensory outcome forecasting & Minimization of product loss
- Sustain & Evolve: Following successful implementation, YAK Brewing scaled up Spectrum usage and placed additional orders. The partnership continues with ongoing support for innovation and process refinement.
The Solution: Spectrum by BarthHaas
It was decided between the two teams that the best solution for consistent results would be Spectrum, a liquid hop extract designed to deliver intense aroma without the drawbacks of traditional pellet hopping. Containing no solids, this ould mean:
- No beer loss
- No need for separation of hop material
- Improved aroma stability and shelf-life
For Barahsinghe Pilsner, Spectrum provided a cleaner, more efficient way to achieve the desired dry-hop character – without compromising on quality or yield.
[Photo: Barth Haas]
The Result: A New Standard for Nepalese Craft Beer
By adopting Spectrum, YAK Brewing achieved:
- Enhanced aroma consistency
- Reduced beer loss
- Streamlined dry hopping operations
- Shorter processing for dry hopping & lagering time
Thanks to these benefits, YAK Brewing was able to reduce the production time for both dry hopping and cold lagering overall tremendously. This lowered the brewery’s overall tank occupation time and increased the output without the need for new equipment.
The introduction of Spectrum not only elevated the sensory profile of Barahsinghe Pilsner but also reinforced YAK Brewing’s position as a regional leader in craft innovation.
From the brewmaster’s mouth
“Barahsinghe Pilsner Bier is Nepal’s first dry-hopped beer, earning it a distinctive place in our market” remarks YAK brewmaster Clemens Neumann “To ensure superior flavour stability and extended freshness, we use Spectrum – an advanced hop extract that contains no solids. This not only enhances aroma and taste but also eliminates beer loss during fermentation, as it removes the need to separate hop solids, unlike traditional pellet hopping methods.”
Takeaways for Craft Brewers
YAK Brewing’s success story offers valuable insights for brewers navigating similar challenges:
- Liquid hop products like Spectrum can dramatically improve aroma delivery and reduce waste.
- Remote collaboration with technical experts can yield high-impact results, even across borders.
- Innovation in process design is key to scaling craft operations without sacrificing quality.
Whether you’re brewing in the tropics of Vietnam or the urban centers of India, the lessons from Nepal’s brewing frontier are clear: with the right partners and products, craft beer can reach new heights.
If you want to fine-tune your recipe, feel free to reach out to [email protected] or visit us this October at BrewAsia in Bangkok!
BarthHaas GmbH & Co. KG, the world’s leading hop trading and processing company, headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany. Holding roughly 30 percent of the global hop market, BarthHaas operates across all major hop-growing regions, with facilities and partnerships in the U.S., Australia, the U.K., China, and beyond.
The family run company offers a complete spectrum of services to the brewing industry – from hop breeding and cultivation to advanced processing, logistics, research, and technical consultancy. Its portfolio includes traditional hop products and innovative formats such as Spectrum liquid hops, HopHaze™, and PHA®, designed to deliver precise flavor, aroma, and functional performance.
BarthHaas also runs the Hops Academy, offering training, sensory education, and brewing trials, and publishes the annual BarthHaas Report, a key global reference on hop cultivation and market trends.
Article by Clemens Neumann & Lennart Paul-Pax
[Photo: YAK Brewing Co.]
