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from the nerding-out-on-homebrew-recipes dept.
NPR reports that the rise of craft breweries has helped to sustain hop growers:
Hop Growers are raising a glass to craft brewers. The demand for small-batch brews has helped growers boost their revenues, expand their operations, and, in some cases, save their farms. "Without the advent of craft brewing, a few large, corporate growers would be supplying all of the hops and local, family owned farms like ours would have gone bankrupt," says Diane Gooding, vice president of operations at Gooding Farms, a hop grower in Wilder, Idaho. "It's saved the industry."
[...] The thirst for craft beer has exploded. In 2015, the Colorado-based Brewers Association reported a 12.8 percent increase in craft-beer sales (compared to 0.2 percent for beer sales overall) and estimates the market at $22.3 billion—about one-quarter of the total U.S. beer market. Craft brews use more hops than traditional lagers produced by large brewing companies, which accounts for the surge in demand. Unlike big breweries, where hops are used to give beer its bitterness, craft breweries use "aroma" varieties of hops that have less acid (and impart less bitterness); each of the different varieties add a distinct flavor to the beer.
Craft beers contain up to five times more hops than traditional beers. The result, according to Jaki Brophy, communications director for the trade association Hop Growers of America, is "a huge impact" on commercial hop growers. In 2016, there are 53,213 acres of hops growing nationwide—the most acreage ever in production and an 18.5 percent increase over 2015. Almost all of the hops production is in Washington, Oregon and Idaho but 29 states are registered to grow the crop. Although there has been significant consolidation in the industry—the number of commercial growers decreased from 378 in 1964 and 90 in 1987 to just 44 in 2015, according to Hop Growers of America—new growers are coming online all the time.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday August 03 2016, @12:01PM
E.g. http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/omnipollo-bianca-mango-lassi-gose/306802/51287/
After sharing dozens of modern "gose"s with beer-nerd friends, I finally did the honest thing, and brought back some Ritterguts from my travels. Their reactions were classic - to a man it was "wow, this is delicious, now I understand why you turned your nose up at all the craft muck".
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday August 03 2016, @12:56PM
How elitist of you. Quality has nothing to do with authenticity. If the Gose style had never emerged in Germany, and something like the modern interpretations emerged today, you wouldn't judge them by comparing to the original. You would judge them on their own merits.
I'm sure Americans can create something as good if not better than Ritterguts. And you'll never drink it because you turned your nose up.
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(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday August 05 2016, @06:27AM
And I will drink it. The reason I know so much about what's being created is because I drink so damn many of them. I've probably had more different beers this year than you have in your entire life.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday August 05 2016, @11:09AM
Hah. I'd take that bet, but I'm too lazy to count all of them.
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