Last year, the news that there was a worldwide shortage of hops sent chills up my beery spine. The little flowers that add complexity, aroma and bitterness to beer are grown around the world, but some of the biggest producers experienced huge shortfalls in 2007. Hops that sold in previous years for a few dollars per pound skyrocketed to OPEC-style levels, many at $25 a pound or more. And even if brewers could afford the huge hit to their bottom line, through price increases that customers aren't going to be happy with, they often couldn't find enough hops to buy.
This article appears in Feb 20-26, 2008.