oh the humanity of it all...

[acroyear]

CNN.com - Beer drinkers beware: 4 percent of U.S. hops crop burns - Oct 3, 2006:

YAKIMA, Washington (AP) -- Federal investigators were set Tuesday to begin an investigation into a fire that ruined about 4 percent of America's yield of hops, used as flavoring in the brewing of beer and ale.

The fire started shortly before noon Monday in a 40,000-square-foot (3,600-square-meter) warehouse operated by S.S. Steiner Inc., one of the four largest hop buyers in the Yakima Valley of central Washington. By mid-afternoon flames engulfed most of the building, sending up plumes of smoke and a pungent aroma.

Of course, it doesn't say what types of hops were there, so it possibly might only impact the "generic" stuff used in wussie yellow beers and the microbrew market may be safe.

Comments

[thelongshot.livejournal.com]

Wussie yellow beers actually use hops? If they do, I certainly don't taste it.

The NW seems to be the main place to grow hops in the US, so probably some good stuff got burned there as well...

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

they don't use a LOT of hops nor very strong ones, but yes there are hops in there. all beers have hops, as do most ales. back in the renaissance, british ales DIDN'T have hops - they were added to help increase the alcohol levels to act as a preservative for the long trip to british troops in foriegn places, like say, India - hence, India Pale Ale.