Miller and Budweiser aren't affected because they have futures contracts and use less hops. How much will the price of microbrew beer rise? No one is sure yet, but the brewer that NPR interviewed was very worried. He equated the skyrocketing price of gasoline to beer, and is worried that the hops shortage will price him out of the market.
"Some people are going to sell the truck and buy the Honda," he said.
Hops Shortage Likely to Boost Price of Beer [NPR]
(Photo:MegElizabeth_)
@asscore:
WOW. Or maybe I know how to read - or express an opinion.
As Hoosier45678 and Beerad seem capable of discerning, preference for hops or not is an opinion, perhaps even an informed one.
My point was not (don't worry Canadian Impostor) that we should go to artifical preservatives but that hops was until a few hundred years ago a preservative, not part of the beer itself. It was used because it was marginally better than other preservatives, like soot or poison mushrooms. Obviously, many people went on to like the taste of this preservative in their beer, but some people might have a preference for "pure" "unpreserved" ale with minimal or no hops.
In fact, most contemporary low- or no-hop ales are "traditional" ales from the UK or Germany or Belgium, like brown ales or altbiers or doppelbocks or marzens or hefewiezens or strong ales - you know, "crap american beers." As an actual read of the article would reveal, "crap american beers" do use hops, large industrial brewers just bought their hops on contract and so are less subject to the price swings.
KELLSBELLS - Cascade and Willamette hops are no replacement for the one true hop SAAZ!
Saaz is the primary hop for almost all European pils.
The others have their place - just not in a fine pilsner.
RHOMBOPTERYX - wow you are an idiot. you don't like hops, go drink a pbr/miller or any of the other crap american beers.
]]>I wish fat tire would make it to the East Coast
]]>Oh noes!
I love the Dogfish Head IPA series! I hope this doesn't make that more expensive...
Personally I like Pabst too. Not only is it less expensive than other main stream beers, I think it tastes better. Bud etc. just tastes like carbonated sugar water now enhanced with skunked beer after-taste!
]]>According to NPR, another cause is a recent crash in the hops market, which led a lot of farmers to stop growing them; the best thing that can be said about the current shortage is that the remaining growers are getting some big bucks for their crops.
]]>Also, I accidentally brewed beer once without the bittering hops stage (I remembered to aroma hop it at the end). Totally dull. The comparison to salt above is appropriate. Beer NEEDS hops.
]]>@kellsbells: Right on the mark. I cannot imagine the Pacific Northwest hops have been affected (or effected?) by any strange weather.
]]>@rhombopteryx: You might well say the same thing about salt, but I don't see too many arguments for getting salt out of the kitchen because modern preservation techniques have made it unnecessary. Hops are also an important flavoring ingredient, and the popular existence of brews like India pale ale suggest that plenty of tipplers like their hop-infused brews just fine, thank you very much!
]]>Also, Hop Devil is deelish.
]]>There are plenty of delicious hoppy beers, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA for example.
]]>/Oh the humanity...
]]>YAY!
My opinion - less hops (and the US hops production is only "average") means that maybe people will stop contaminating beer with excessive amounts of hops - a glorified 2nd cousin of pine sap. A little bit of hops helps with the brewing, but for much of history, the only reason to add lots of hops was because you didn't or wouldn't have fresh beer. Hops - because we hadn't invented synthetic preservatives yet...
@Flossie: So you are saying I should grow hops in a tray in my basement? ;-)
]]>Anywhere pot grows well, so too will hops. Sounds like an investment opportunity. A delicious staggering investment opportunity!
]]>HOPS. hops. tail between legs.
]]>Easy: Use Cascade or Willamette hopps. They are a domestic alternative that are touted as being the very next closing thing to euro hopps. And they make delicious homebrews yummmmmmmmmm.
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