Beer and the Land
Climate Change May Effect Beer Production
Beer is inexorably tied to the land. A product of agriculture, it takes healthy soil, clean water and clean air to grow barley and hops.
An Earth that is polluted is no place for good beer. Along with the barley and hops, clean water is essential. As noted in a previous posting, it takes as much as 26 gallons of water to produce a bottle of beer.
At one time I had calculated the amount of land required to grow the barley necessary to make a pint of beer at ~6 sq. ft.
Plus, climate change may have an effect on the quality of life of many on this planet. Coastal inhabitants stand to be submerged as ice caps melt. Crops will no longer grow as well as they do where they're already planted.
People might not understand the severity of the situation, but global climate change could easily effect beer production. Eep!
Some would argue it is already occurring. Beer manufacturers have been challenged recently by crop failures. Certain hop strains have succumbed to blight and disease, requiring brewers to scramble and adapt, one reason why Amarillo hop sales have skyrocketed.
Organic beer is available in a bottle from Peak Brewing back East and from some select breweries in the Northwest. Heck, even Anheuser-Busch has got in the act with Wild Hop from their GreenValley Brewing label.
Pair beer with the land, a healthy land. After a day of gardening and tending your hop vines, drink an organic beer.
Published by Kent Palmer
Kent Palmer is a veteran beer-geek, having spent time on both sides of the rail in Chicago, Il and Madison, WI. He enjoys pairing beer with food and experiences. View profile
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