What Does a Fourth Consecutive Growth for Hops in the U.S. Mean?

More hops.

 

QFT.

 

more demand for hops which surprises noone. There's been quite a few articles about a hop shortage so a grower in a suitable area knows to go where the demand is.

 

Indications are that a "hop shortage" will still happen at the international level and that the increased US output will not be enough to fill up the gap for two reasons. First the increased output within the US isn't enough to compensate for the expected world wide shortfall. Second, even if the supply of American Hops does increase, the decline in Noble Hop availability will put more pressure on those who brew beers that rely on them. Consequently those who have contracts in already in place will be in better shape than the new kids trying to get started, etc. So the new kids will brew what they can and hope it sells.

So I think we'll see more of the beers traditional brewed in the US using noble hops being brewed with American Hops instead (e.g., IPLs). I also think we'll see an even greater emphasis on every brewery doing an IPA, a decline in diversity and availability of certain imports, and more US start ups finding it harder to get the ingredients they want/need to do their own version of some of the traditional styles. This may also increase the start up failure rate even though local demand for beers from local breweries will probably continue to increase.

 

They did the math.

 

It means American hop farmers are growing to meet the demand of American breweries and brewers who rely on American hops. What that means for the bigger picture is about the same. It means American hops and styles of beer which emphasize American hop additions are safe until we face a shortage and a bad growth year.

 

Hmmm, for USA, it means nothing, for the world that brews using hops not grown in USA it means nothing. So far there have already been years with too many hops, years with not enough hops, and I don't think the American consumer has noticed any difference in the marketplace in any of those years, prices and supplies seem not to have been affected. At least I can say I certainly did not notice any effects. And I expect that to remain true now.

 

Quadruple and Quintuple IPAs

 

I'm waiting for the first Octuple IPA myself. It's so dank and hoppy that it knocks you out when you try it in the snifter

 

Ballast Point is gonna need more fruit flavoring