Beer prices may go up!!!! Agggghhhhh!!!

Here’s a sad article I found today about shortages around the world causing beer prices to go up due to the increase in price of hops.  Here is the devastating article!

Tightening supply of hops could mean rising price of local beer

BY JOHN BREWER
Pioneer Press

Article Last Updated: 11/06/2007 11:24:56 PM CST

var requestedWidth = 0;

if(requestedWidth < 300){ requestedWidth = 300; }

Brewer Josh Bischoff empties a 6-pound bucket of hops into a 400-gallon brew kettle at Town Hall Brewery in Minneapolis. Bischoff was brewing a batch of Masala Mama India Pale Ale, a beer that uses 40 pounds of five different kinds of American hops. Smaller craft brewers like Town Hall are in a tough spot as the supply of hops tightens and the price increases: They use a lot of hops in their beers and their access to lower-priced supplies is limited. (John Doman, Pioneer Press) (John Doman)

if(requestedWidth > 0){ document.getElementById(‘articleViewerGroup’).style.width = requestedWidth + “px”; document.getElementById(‘articleViewerGroup’).style.margin = “0px 0px 10px 10px”; } Why should Minnesotans care about an Australian drought, European flooding and the increasing use of biofuels?

Because it might drive up the price of our locally made beer.

Take a deep breath (and maybe a slug of that brew):

Beer is made of water, malted barley, hops and yeast. A drought Down Under has sent Australia looking for barley overseas; flooding has Europe calling on the United States to supply it with hops; and biofuels have motivated farmers to grow corn and soybeans instead of hops.

This means a lot of demand for a shrinking supply of beer-making materials – and a likely bump in the price of beer at your local liquor store.

“Don’t be surprised to see everything go up 15, 20 percent,” said Jeff Williamson,

Mike Hoops, the head brewer at Town Hall, holds partially dried hop buds. After they dry, the buds will be pelletized and added to the various beers made at the Seven Corners brew pub. (John Doman, Pioneer Press) (John Doman)

co-owner and brewmaster at Flat Earth Brewing Co. in St. Paul. He plans to keep his beer prices steady for at least the next year.

Read the article here.