Complex Numbers

Hope for Hops

As I noted yesterday, entries might be short for a few days while I'm out of town, and at odd times. Fortunately, I don't have a lot to say about this one, except for NOOOOOOO.

    Fears for the future of the great British pint of beer  

This is an Outrage and Something Must Be Done.

Hops give bitter its taste but the plant doesn't like the hotter, drier conditions we've experienced in recent decades and production has plummeted.

Researchers in Kent are isolating hop genes in the hope of producing more climate-change resilient varieties.

I should note that what the British call "bitter" is still heavy on the malt side. But hops are still used for flavor and aroma, and as a preservative.

Yes, the generally super-bitter IPA is originally a British style, but it's more associated with the US.

They also want to produce more intense flavours that are now becoming popular.

Please don't.

"We are just going to be importing beer and we won't have the culture that goes with it anymore."

Gosh, if only you could import only one of the ingredients instead of the whole beer. Hops, for example.

Anyway, most of the article is about what scientists are doing to mitigate this Very Important Problem, and of course, I think it's awesome that they're devoting their best brainpower to solve this major issue. I don't mean climate change; I mean disappearing beer. Priorities, folks.

Don't agree with me that it would be a disaster to go without beer? Well, climate change is also killing off coffee.   Oh, now you want to do something about it.