Drinks

There are few things tastier than the crisp bite of a cold IPA…for now.  A recent study published in the journal Nature Communications found the changing global climate may be affecting the flavor and cost of beer.  A warmer and drier climate is expected to lower the yield of hops — the aromatic flowers of the Humulus lupulus plant that give beer its signature bitter flavor — in Europe up to 18 percent by 2050. The alpha acid content of hops is also expected to drop as crops begin to ripen earlier. “These climate variations may cause changes in the essential oils of particular varieties of hops,” said Herbert Bruce, assistant professor of practice for undergraduate education in Virginia Tech’s Department of Food Science and Technology and co-creator of the university’s official Fightin’ Hokies beers.  Bruce says that temperature and rainfall are a big part of that, w...