Saving the pint: behind the race to climate-proof beer in the US

US brewers are racing to climate-proof beer as water shortages and rising temperatures threaten the industry's essential ingredients, particularly hops grown in Washington state's Yakima Valley and barley used across the country. Hops, which provide flavor and aroma and comprise roughly 75% of the nation's supply in the Pacific Northwest, face severe threats from drought, extreme heat and wildfires, while irrigation for Yakima Valley crops depends on Cascade Mountain snowmelt that scientists project could decline 75% by century's end. Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon, partnered with Patagonia to develop an alternative beer using Kernza, a perennial wheatgrass that requires less water and tilling than traditional barley while sequestering atmospheric carbon. Ryan Christian, who oversees hops research at Yakima Chief Hops, emphasized that "hops are integral to beer," underscoring the urgency of adaptation efforts as Americans consume more than 6 billion gallons annually.