Climate Change Affects Beer? Now its getting serious!

Source: Irritated Tulsan blog

The New Scientist reported last week that a Czech climatologist has concluded that higher temperatures are reducing the quality of the Saalz hops found in the region's classic lager beers (see Climate Change Depresses Beer Drinkers, September 13, 2009).  And this effect is being felt in the traditional hop growing regions of Germany and Slovakia as well. 

Warmer air temperatures are blamed for reducing concentrations of alpha acids in the hops - the element that provides the slightly sharp/bitter taste of good lager - since 1954.

And to add insult to injury, in a somewhat dated article, the Australian Broadcast Corporation, reported that the price of beer is likely to rise as some sources of malt barley are lost to changing temperatures and water shortages (see Scientist: Climate Change to Impact Beer Production, April 8, 2008 and Climate Change Will Impact Beer Production: Scientist, CTV.ca, April 8, 2008).