Saaz Hops,. Which Give Czech Beer Its Distinctive Flavor, Threatened By Warming As Brewers Seek Alternatives

[hatrack]

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The reputation of Saaz hops extends well beyond Europe, with roughly 80% of Czechia’s Saaz yields going to breweries abroad. The US brewery BarrieHaus Beer Co in Tampa, Florida, imports them for its Czech-style pilsner called the “Bublina”, which won the 2024 World Beer Cup; their brewmaster, Jim Barrie, says Saaz “has a character that’s difficult to truly replicate”.

However, in recent years there has been an increase in summer temperatures and a decrease in rainfall in Czechia, which has affected the Saaz variety in particular. This reduces the amount of water available for the plant to use and makes it harder for the plants to stay cool during hot summers. According to Dr Pavel Donner, also of the Hop Research Institute, “Czech cultivars, Czech genetic resources, are not habituated to live in such high temperatures.”

Only about 25% of Czech hop farms are irrigated, making them highly vulnerable to irregular rainfall. The higher temperatures and lack of water result not only in fewer cones, but also less alpha acid, a compound that gives hops their characteristic bitterness. With less acid, brewers need to use more hops to achieve the same level of bitterness, which can change the flavour of the product. That variation creates challenges for brewers, who rely on consistent expectations when they put in their yearly hop orders.

According to Barrie, the droughts and higher temperatures in recent years have made BarrieHaus’s Bublina harder to produce. “We’ve definitely seen more year-to-year variation in alpha acid levels, aroma intensity, and overall availability, especially with drought pressure in Czechia. For example, I haven’t seen a Saaz varietal over 2.5% in years,” he said, referring to the lower alpha acid levels in the drought-afflicted hops. “This last crop of Saaz was the least appealing sensory-wise since we opened in 2019.”That change in quality, as well as the drop in yields, may be one reason why imports of Czech hops to the US dropped by roughly half after a particularly brutal drought in 2022.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/28/saaz-is-our-gold-the-czech-scientists-breeding-hops-that-can-survive-a-hotter-europe

[2naSalit]

1. Oh Noooos!

Not teh BEERS!