Bitter Beer Face

So hops are in short supply and it is really hitting the local brewers here in Southern Wisconsin. I have not followed up nationally, but I know I heard a piece on this on NPR in the past few weeks as well. For all of my fellow beer friends, this is definately bad news...

What does the shortage mean for local beer drinkers? Look for a jump in the price of Wisconsin-made microbrew this year, from 50 cents to $2 more per six-pack. Also affecting the price is the rising cost of bottles and grains, including malted barley, which has fermentable sugars that are turned into bubbles and alcohol. "I'm already paying over 20% more for malt and bottles," says Porter.

I am fortunate enough to have enough disposable income to absorb this cost (a big reason is the significant reduction in consumption over the past few years), so it isn't as scary now as it once was. I am, however, concerned about what this will do to the types of beers that are being produced. I enjoy a variety of styles of brew, but my old faves are IPA's, APA's, and other hop monsters. With the current shortage, it is likely we will see less fun experimentation on this front in the near term.