How Climate Change is Affecting the Craft Beer Industry
After reading, 'These Storms Are Just Crazy': Craft Beer Brewers Feel Effects Of Climate Change, on Huffpost, it is apparent that climate is extremely important to the craft beer industry. Beer relies on water, hops, and grains. While quality water, hops, and grains rely on a good climate. Flooding, droughts, pests, and other natural events that occur from climate can have direct impacts on the craft beer industry.
In 2011, Hurricane Irene almost ended one of Vermont's best breweries, Alchemist Beer. Known around New England for their infamous Heady Topper, Alchemist was almost forced to close their doors from the damage of Hurricane Irene. Their solution was rebuilding their infrastructure on higher land to avoid seeing this problem in the future.
Here is a picture of some of the damage did to Vermont:
As for hops, the U.S have already dealt with multiple hop shortages. Brewers are paying extra to be first in line for hop deliveries to avoid not receiving their hop orders. For a small craft beer company, paying their supplier more to be first in line might not be an option. Then if that same company has an order to fulfill but can't because they do not have enough hops, they lose business.
Aeronaut Brewing Company in Somerville, MA dealt with a hop shortage when one of their orders was delayed and then cancelled, aka they did not receive any hops. A drought in Western, MA ruined the crop that was growing the hops.
Here is a picture of Western, MA after being 6 inches under what the average rainfall should have been:
In terms of water, a lot of us know about the water in Flint, Michigan and the pipeline spilling into the river in South Dakota. These cases are happening more and more. Without a large supply of clean water, these beer companies can't brew quality beer without it.
So what is the craft beer doing to combat the problems climate change brings to them?
Brewers have come together and formed the Brewery Climate Declaration. This brings, "attention to the effects of climate change on the industry and outlines actions breweries are already taking."This is vital at a time where the President of the United States is doing nothing to combat climate change and remain the one country in the world that hasn't signed the Paris Climate Agreement.
So if you love craft beer, you better love our climate because a lot of craft beer companies will not be able to jump the hurdles climate change is presenting.
In 2011, Hurricane Irene almost ended one of Vermont's best breweries, Alchemist Beer. Known around New England for their infamous Heady Topper, Alchemist was almost forced to close their doors from the damage of Hurricane Irene. Their solution was rebuilding their infrastructure on higher land to avoid seeing this problem in the future.
Here is a picture of some of the damage did to Vermont:
As for hops, the U.S have already dealt with multiple hop shortages. Brewers are paying extra to be first in line for hop deliveries to avoid not receiving their hop orders. For a small craft beer company, paying their supplier more to be first in line might not be an option. Then if that same company has an order to fulfill but can't because they do not have enough hops, they lose business.
Aeronaut Brewing Company in Somerville, MA dealt with a hop shortage when one of their orders was delayed and then cancelled, aka they did not receive any hops. A drought in Western, MA ruined the crop that was growing the hops.
Here is a picture of Western, MA after being 6 inches under what the average rainfall should have been:
In terms of water, a lot of us know about the water in Flint, Michigan and the pipeline spilling into the river in South Dakota. These cases are happening more and more. Without a large supply of clean water, these beer companies can't brew quality beer without it.
So what is the craft beer doing to combat the problems climate change brings to them?
Brewers have come together and formed the Brewery Climate Declaration. This brings, "attention to the effects of climate change on the industry and outlines actions breweries are already taking."This is vital at a time where the President of the United States is doing nothing to combat climate change and remain the one country in the world that hasn't signed the Paris Climate Agreement.
So if you love craft beer, you better love our climate because a lot of craft beer companies will not be able to jump the hurdles climate change is presenting.
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