Abstrax Hops, a division of Abstrax that aims to deliver revolutionary brewing products, has proudly named Mountains Walking as the winner of its “Best-In-Show” award at its first-ever Skunkworks Lounge brewing contest.

Voted for by show attendees, the brewery’s Sky Flowers Hybrid India Pale Ale, infused with Abstrax Hop’s Pineapple Express from the BrewGas series and hopped with Citra and Experimental Hops YCH 586 and Cryo 602, was the clear winner.

“We’re excited to have Mountains Walking as our first-ever winner in the Skunkworks Lounge brewing contest,” says Abstrax CEO and Co-founder Max Koby. “The team expertly applied our BrewGas Series Pineapple Express to achieve revolutionary flavors and aromas that have never been possible before now.”

This comes after Mountains Walking’s Sky Flowers Series won big at the World Beer Cup (WBC) at the 2023 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC), including a Silver Medal (the top prize) in the Experimental India Pale Ale (IPA) Category.

Ross Hunsinger, Director of Food and Beverage Innovation at Abstrax, says, “Not only is this a huge win for Mountains Walking, it’s a massive win for Abstrax Hops. I can’t overstate the significance. IPAs in general have always been a ‘beer nerd's beer’ - a massive amount of hops are used, which can make these beers extra hard for some to drink. Sky Flowers winning the category as an approachable, seasonable, artful IPA is honestly incredible and a testament to what we’re doing to empower breweries to deliver brews capable of mass appeal.”

Beyond the significance of the Mountains Walking win, the Skunkworks Lounge, held in the outer perimeter of the CBC trade show, proved to be the perfect setting for the competition. It featured a premium tasting room and a welcoming atmosphere for all who participated.

“Winning the Best-In-Class Award has been an incredible opportunity to put our Sky Flowers Series in the spotlight – we knew this brew had the right stuff to impress,” says Gustav Dose, Founder of Mountains Walking and director of brewing.

Known for its great ambiance, impressive brews, and authentic dishes, Mountains Walking is a popular setting in the Bozeman community. Its brewing methods stand out due to its dedication to upholding time-honored traditions of craft beer creation while fearlessly exploring cutting-edge dry hopping and flavoring techniques.

Visit AbstraxHops.com or MountainsWalking.com for more information.

About Abstrax

Leveraging its proven background in cannabis and hops research, Abstrax is the leader in the research, development, and production of botanically-derived cannabis and hop-inspired terpenes that create unforgettable and consistent sensorial experiences. Headquartered in California, the company owns and operates a state-of-the-art type 7 licensed research and manufacturing laboratories where its award-winning product developers and scientists leverage the most advanced strain and hop analysis technology to extract and study aroma compounds via three-dimensional analysis, allowing for each and every compound within a plant to be named and studied. The company has partnered with many of the best cultivators and brewers to study their cannabis and hops profiles and create the world's most advanced terpene formulations. In 2023, Abstrax added an official hops division in order to disrupt an industry that isn’t currently up to speed with the latest extraction combined with 3D analytical technologies and their transformative power. Its focus is to apply its knowledge, technology and resources to help brewers gain competitive edge and relevance in an environment where the consumption of mainstream and craft beer is declining due to the increasing popularity of beyond beer and spirits based ready to drink products. The company works with internationally recognized brands and provides unparalleled hops research, innovation, and custom formulations to create products that engage and thrill consumers.

Abstrax also devotes significant resources to developing the highest terpene standards and best practices in the industry. The company has developed a robust quality management system including Gas Chromatography analysis and molecular distillation of natural ingredients to achieve the highest purity standards. Investigating and ensuring that ingredients used in its own products, and products within its industry, are safe for consumption. The terpene industry is a rapidly growing segment of the global flavor and fragrance market, which is expected to grow to $35 billion by 2024. This market segment includes the cannabis, CBD, skincare, cosmetics, health and wellness, food and beverage industries.