At Fyne Ales, we’re always looking for ways to stay connected to the land around us—especially when it brings our brewing and farming worlds together. One of the most surprisingly useful by-products of brewing? Spent hops.

Once we’ve brewed with them, our hops don’t go to waste. Most are composted up the glen in a giant heap, breaking down slowly over time. But when it comes to our garden, we use spent hops a bit differently—spreading them directly on the soil as mulch.

Why? Because they’re brilliant at suppressing weeds, keeping the soil damp and warm, and are naturally rich in nitrogen and protein from the trub (the hoppy, yeasty sediment left behind after brewing). It’s just another way we let brewing feed into growing—and it’s working wonders.

 

What’s Growing in the Origins Garden?

Tucked away behind the brewery, our fruit garden is thriving thanks to good compost, Glen Fyne rain, and a healthy dose of spent hops. Right now, we’re harvesting:

• Red & green gooseberries
• Black, red & white currants
• Rhubarb

And we’re only just getting started – this year we’ve also planted:

• Raspberries – 120 plants
• More gooseberries – 30 plants
• More currants – 75 plants
• Sea buckthorn – 50 plants
• Flowering currants – 50 plants
• Blackthorn (sloes) – 50 plants
• Magnolia trees – 3
• Grape vines – 4

All of these are future ingredients for Origins Brewing beers—flavour grown just a few steps from the brewhouse.

 

 

About Origins Brewing
Origins Brewing is our small-batch, mixed-fermentation project led by Head of Origins Dan Wye, where we focus on time, tradition, and the natural character of our Glen Fyne surroundings. Using our own unique house culture and extended barrel ageing, Origins beers are layered, expressive, and deeply rooted in place.

Where possible, we forage ingredients locally, and increasingly we’re growing our own—ensuring that every bottle is connected to the land and story of its creation.

Want to taste the Glen?
For a real expression of our Origins ethos, try Origins Gleann. It’s a blend of barrel-aged beers made using ingredients grown and gathered in the glen—unfiltered, unpasteurised, and full of character.

From spent hops to soft fruit, garden to glass—it’s all part of the cycle. And every pint tells a story.

 

Check out the full collection of Origins beers here – https://shop.fyneales.com/beer/origins-brewing/