Hop Contracts

[eric@marshallbrewing.com]

I was curious to what everyone's philosophy on contracting hops is? We have been brewing for 3 years now and we are looking to contract hops for next year, but being new to this I am not sure how to approach it. Obviously, there are some risks involved, but we want to be assured that we don't get caught in a situation where there are no hops available to us of the varieties we need. My question really I guess is focused on how many people do you contact through? Do you put all of your eggs in one basket or do you spread it out over a few different suppliers? Obviously with certain varieties your options are limited, but with Cascades or Centennials for example do you go all in or spread it out? Also, how do you factor in growth? I would appreciate anyone's input?

Thanks- Eric