Project Hop began in 2016 as a side project by Environmental Scientist and home brewer Nathan Vadeboncoeur. The goal was to see if terroir, the unique flavours and aromas contributed by the land, was noticeable in beer like it is in wine.

Working with a friend and microbial geneticist, Nathan visited hops farms across British Columbia taking soil and plant samples and quantifying if the same type of hops was different when grown on different farms, and why. They are. It has to do with soil, microbes and weather. Small hops farms were booming and the project evolved into an early stage quality control business.

But life had other plans. The new company Project Hop died when COVID caused massive supply chain re-organization in the brewing world But the relationships built along the way remained.

Working with R&B Brewing in Vancouver, Nathan began brewing test batches for their taproom using single origin hops. That project would eventually lead to Good Cheer Brewing, launched in Calgary in 2025.

Good Cheer is focused on re-creating historical beers, but Project Hop is all about brewing science. Think of it as a research experiment you can taste. And we want you to be a part of it.

The new Project Hop is a collaborative project between Nathan, Good Cheer brewer Quentin Baert, and anyone who is curious about the connection between farms and food.

We’re looking for people to join us by participating in tasting panels and helping guide the direction of our research. Each month, we’ll launch two new products, hosted at Good Cheer Brewing. One will be a terroir beer. One beer, split into four fermenters, each with different hops. Can you tell the difference?

The other will be an experimental small batch brew. One beer, two test-batch fermenters, and one control variable. Maybe different yeasts, or fermentation temperatures, or hops. You decide.

Explore our memberships below and dive in to the world of citizen science.