Beer Drinkers, Beware of Climate Change

What will it take to bring about real action on climate change? Could losing your favorite beer be the calalyst for change?

Czech Hydrometeorological Institute climatologist Martin Mozny and colleagues have conducted a study using a high-resolution dataset of weather patterns, crop yield and hop quality to estimate the impact of climate change on Saaz hops in the Czech Republic between 1954 and 2006. Saaz are the delicate variety of hops used to make pilsner lager. A pilsner is a type of pale lager beer. It takes its name from being developed in the 19th century in the city of Pilsen, Bohemia. The study has shown that the quality of Saaz hops has been decreasing in recent years. They say the culprit is climate change in the form of increased air temperature reports NewScientist. The concentration of alpha acids which determines the quality of the hops was found to have fallen by .06 percent since 1954. The best quality Saaz hops contain about 5 per cent a-acid. Alpha acid is the compound that produces the delicate, bitter taste of pilsners. Using documented global warming scenarios, the study predicts bigger decreases including a decrease in crop yields by as much as 10 percent. But for those who enjoy pilsners it's quality that counts, and the study predicts a decrease in a-acid concentration anywhere from 13 - 32 percent. According to European Commission crop specialist Francesco Tubiello, it's not just Czech hops that are being affected. Tubiello says, "The famous hop-growing regions of eastern Germany and central Slovakia are facing the same situation," reports NewScientist.