Europe is home to prime areas for growing aromatic hops, a flower used in brewing beer. But, as conditions get hotter and drier, hop yields have declined in the continent’s hop-growing heartland, according to a study recently published in Nature Communications. Not only that, but soaring temperatures are also reducing hops’ alpha acid content, the source of beer’s bitter flavor.
Though the findings seem to spell an uncertain future for hoppy beer, some experts have cautioned that changing tastes and an adapting industry are likely contributing to the trends.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, Europe is the world’s fastest warming continent, with average temperatures currently more than 2°C higher than during the preindustrial period. Droughts have increased in strength and frequency since the 1800s.
Focusing on Germany, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic, researchers paired industry data on hop yields and alpha acid content over two 24-year periods, 1971–1994 and ...
