It’s a weekend and pro football playoffs are on televisions across the Southeast (at least in my household). So naturally, thoughts may turn to beer. Well, NCEI has anticipated this with a blog post this week about the relationship between climate and beer. You can read it at https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-and/climate-beer.
One of the ways in which climate affects beer is in the production of hops. Now most hops are grown in the Pacific Northwest, although there are increases in production in other regions. Last summer’s drought negatively impacted the production of some aroma varieties of hops in Washington state.
Another way that climate affects beer production is in the type of water that is available to be used for brewing. In drought years the brewers depend more heavily on groundwater, which may have a higher mineral content than surface water, and that can lead to unwelcome changes in the flavor of the beer.
