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Hops Insider: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly News from Harvest 2022

Northern Hemisphere harvests are down, with Saaz hit the hardest. Weather disruptions are on the rise, and so are costs, making long-term planning essential. In the short-term, it may be a year of substitutions—especially for lagers.

Stan Hieronymus Sep 26, 2022 - 12 min read

Hops Insider: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly News from Harvest 2022 Primary Image

Comet hops being picked at CLS Farms in Moxee, Washington. Photo: Joe Stange.

The results of the Czech hop harvest are disastrous—full stop.

Farmers in Washington, who grow more than 70 percent of hops in the United States, expect their yield to be 10 to 15 percent below average. The official crop estimate in Germany, released at the outset of harvest, indicated that production would be 18 percent less than normal. The implications are not as catastrophic as in Czechia.

However, the short-term outlook for the supply of some hop varieties looks much different than it did at the beginning of August. That shift is yet another reminder that planning for the long-term means adapting to climate change.

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