'Beer Drinkers Will Definitely See Climate Change': New Study Shows That Global Warming Will 'Inevitably' Change The Taste Of Beer By 2050

Beer lovers take note: Your favorite pint is at the mercy of the world's changing climate.

According to a new study published in Nature Communications, climate change is affecting the taste and quality of beer, with hops, a key beer ingredient, impacted by global warming. This could lead to more expensive beer and changes in brewing methods.

The study predicts that hop yields in Europe could drop by 4% to 18% by 2050 because of hotter and drier conditions. Additionally, the alpha acids in hops, responsible for beer's distinct flavor and aroma, are expected to decrease by 20% to 31%.

Beer quality hinges on hops cultivated under specific climatic conditions. The demand for quality hops has surged with the rise in craft beer production. But increased greenhouse gas emissions are threatening hop production.

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The study revealed a significant drop in the yield of aroma hops between 1971-1994 and 1995-2018. Germany, a major hop producer, has seen a decline in its hop yields, with specific regions like Spalt, Hallertau and Tettnang experiencing drops of 19.1%, 13.7% and 9.5%, respectively.

"Beer drinkers will definitely see the climate change, either in the price tag or the quality," said Miroslav Trnka, a co-author of the study, told The Guardian. "That seems to be inevitable from our data."

Given the demonstrated climate-induced decline in the quality and quantity of traditional aroma hops across Europe, the study is calling for "urgent adaptation measures to stabilize international market chains."

How can farmers adapt?

"Hop farmers can and have responded to climate change by relocating hop gardens to higher elevations and valley locations with higher water tables, building irrigation systems, changing the orientation and spacing of crop rows, and even breeding more resistant varieties," the researchers wrote.

While beer enthusiasts may lament the shifting flavors of their favorite brews, the ripple effects of climate change extend far beyond the pint glass.

More Than Hops At Stake

In July, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders warned that climate change "is ravaging the planet."

"We are now seeing floods, droughts, extreme weather disturbances and wildfires causing unprecedented damage," he wrote in an op-ed for The Guardian.

Sanders explained that the imminent consequences of climate change include accelerated Arctic ice cap melting, rising sea levels and heightened flooding. The changes will increase droughts, disrupt food production and intensify storm damage. Economic downturns and mass migration because of water shortages are expected as well.

According to European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, climate change could also have an effect on price levels.

"Climate change affects inflation, and inflation is the beast that all central bankers — whether they wear a green jacket or not — want to tame and discipline," she said at a summit in Paris earlier this year.

Lagarde added that in addition to impacting inflation, climate change also "affects our balance sheet" and "is a financial risk for the banks we supervise."

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