Climate change is threatening Europe’s BEER: Rising temperatures will make lagers and IPAs more bitter, scientists warn

There’s nothing like a cold beer on a warm day.

But your favorite Pilsner, Lager and Pale Ale could be at risk from climate change, experts have warned.

A new study suggests that some of Europe’s most prominent beer-producing regions are set to experience a major reduction in both the quantity of hops they produce and their quality.

And that could lead to price increases or even supply shortages, scientists said.

Beer, which is the third most consumed beverage in the world, is made from water, barley, yeast and hops.

Hops, used for flavoring, contain compounds called alpha acids that give beer its unique bitter flavor and also affect its quality.

The researchers collected data on beer hop yield and alpha content between 1971 and 2018 from 90 percent of European beer hop growing regions in Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovenia.

They found that compared to before 1994, hops now begin to ripen 20 days earlier. This shifts the critical ripening period to the warmer part of the season, which has a negative impact on alpha acid content.

The analysis also reveals that hop production has fallen by almost 0.2 tonnes per hectare per year and alpha bitter content has decreased by around 0.6 per cent.

By combining past data with climate models, the researchers estimate that beer hop yield could be reduced by up to 18 percent and alpha acid content could be reduced by up to 31 percent by 2050.

The biggest decline is expected to occur in southern hop growing regions such as Tettnag in southern Germany and Celje in Slovenia.

Some popular beer styles that use Tettnanger hops include Bitters, California Blonde Ale, Red Ale, Pilsner, Lager, American Amber Ale, and Pale Ale.

Dr Martin Mozny, who worked on the study, explained that if the alpha content of aromatic hops falls, then more hop heads are needed for production.

“That means more expensive inputs for brewing,” he said. “The taste is not affected, only the price.

“The availability of hops for brewers is already a problem due to more frequent crop failures. Our simulations show that the situation will worsen, hence the risk of market shortages.

“Production of some premium or craft beers will have to be curtailed due to shortages.”

The authors, from the Czech Academy of Sciences, said that traditional beer hop cultivation practices must be adapted to alleviate the negative effects of climate change.

Writing in the journal Nature Communications, they said: “In addition to water, barley and yeast, a much more expensive hop is needed to give beer its incomparable taste.

“Changes in alpha bittering acids affect the quality of hops and recently there has been a shift in consumer preference towards beer aromas and flavors that are highly dependent on high quality hops.

Since the cultivation of high-quality aroma hops is limited to relatively small regions with suitable environmental conditions, there is a serious risk that much of this production will be affected by individual heat waves or extremes of drought that have likely to increase under global climate change. .’