Drought and higher temperatures will lead to a decline in the quality and quantity of hops. By 2050, yields for traditional aromatic hops in Europe will decline by 4 to 18 percent.
Production of hop acids, which are crucial for aromatization, will decrease by 20 to 31 percent. Hops present a greater challenge to adapt than wheat or barley because they are a more difficult crop. The changing quality and quantities of hops could affect the taste of your favorite beer - or simply make it more expensive if brewers have to use more hops to achieve the same taste. But experts are optimistic about the prospects for adjustments in European hop cultivation. They are sequencing the entire hop genome to better understand how the plant could be adapted to be more resilient in new climate conditions. The Carlsberg Group gave up hop farming shortly after World War II, but it has reinvested in this research in recent years. It's really science and innovation that needs to help us develop some of the new major breakthroughs and revolutions to deal with this very extreme weather.