When bitter is better: How craft beers are keeping the Yakima Valley hopping
When bitter is better
Tradition holds that the hop-heavy been called the India Pale Ale was developed by the British East India Trading Company in the 19th century, and that the strong hop concentration acted as a preservative. Serious beer historians (yes, there are such people) will tell you that that's hooey. But the fact remains that the India Pale Ale is one of the most popular craft beers in America these days. So much so, in fact, that the nation's hop growers are scrambling to produce enough of the bitter little flowers.
Growing Industry
As it stands, craft beers currently comprise eight percent of US sales by volume and gravitate more toward the aroma hops (giving beer their citrus, floral, bright overtones) than the formally more popular alpha hops (your more bitter flavors). India Pale Ales, commonly termed IPAs, are our nation's leading variety.
The fact that the average price for all hops was $3.59 per pound in 2013 and nearly twice as much as it was in 2004 has not slowed down the grower's demand in the least bit (Hop Growers of America). Beer enthusiasts are willing to pay the price for their finely crafted brews, largely considering the handiwork of small micropubs an art form. Those acquainted with craft beers-either from within the breweries themselves or from frequent visits to small pubs-realize that aroma varieties cost more because of lower yields.
Ann George, the Executive Director of the Hops Growers of America, who has 27 years of experience in the industry, says that while alpha beer is made with 0.2 pound of hops per 31 gallons, the alpha varieties use 1.25 pounds.
The sizable hops enterprise hails right here in the Pacific Northwest where ideal conditions for growing is made possible, thanks to growing sunlight, rich volcanic soil and abundant irrigation. Yakima Valley, our eastern Washington neighbor, is prime hop growing land due to its desert-like climate and its ability to produce a full crop in the first year.
The Yakima Valley currently comprises 75% of total US hop acreage and has an average farm size of 450 acres. The majority of growers are multi-generational family farms as it costs millions to start such an operation.
Brief History of Beer in the US
In order to take some of the guesswork out of the growing demand for aroma varieties, it's important to take a brief walk through beer history in the United States, George says.
In looking to the "Modern Era" of the 19th and 20th Centuries, long after Native American first introduced corn beer, people were drawn to a lot of logger-type beers. "These were very mild tasting and not at all robust like today's varieties," George says.
Before 1980, American's penchant for beer was largely satisfied by the large warehouses (think Anheuser-Busch, Coors and the like), as the Brewers Association tells us there were only 89 breweries in the nation.
For years alpha acreage dominated in Europe and the US; in fact Washington State had about 70 percent acreage in alpha and only 30 percent in aroma.
Because hops is a crop that keeps, unlike lettuce for instance, growers eventually ran into an oversupply problem. Without agricultural lenders or money to put into infrastructure, the hop industry was hurting. The recession did not help the situation any, and growers began to watch their poles rot.
It wasn't until the mid 2000's - after grinding their way through the surplus - that the industry slowly began to look more promising growers. But even so, hops farmers weren't without an uphill climb. At the time many brewers were met with lukewarm receptiveness regarding loans needed to secure the equipment, bring on the laborers and refurbish their infrastructure.
When Yakima County saw a shortfall and a very cool spring in 2007 and Europe experienced a subsequent draught as result, the growers tried not to panic.
"Growers were wondering what they were going to do, but craft brews soon picked up, and it saved them," says Nancy Sites, Business Manager of Hops Research Council and Administrator for Oregon Hop Commission.
Once consumers realized that beer need not come in only one form (bitter) and that it could exude variety enough to be paired with any food, the sales in aromas took off running. You'll find craft beers not only in restaurants, but grocery aisles, and they're moving quickly from the shelves.
"The Craft Brewer's Conference which met in Colorado last year was a gathering of 10,000 people," says Sites. "It was incredible."
Current Market
Today hops growers are still adjusting to meet the rising demand of craft brew connoisseurs.
While the ratio of alpha/aroma brews is nearing 50-50, projections for 2014 are showing expectations for 40 alpha/60 aroma. While excited about the increasing demand for the latter, making way for the more expensive variety is quite an undertaking for the growers.
Farmers are required to use a root digger to lift rison fields, and then there's the work of ensuring that all the old hop roots are killed off. George adds that one new method employed today is use of a rotatiller, which cuts back on some of the grunt work. But no matter the method, the task of putting in aromas is daunting.
Then it's time to plant the new varieties. Unlike other region, the heat units in Yakima and Boise allow for a first crop, called "babies" to generate in the first year. The Willamette Valley of Oregon requires more waiting time; its ocean breeze, European-like climate means that farmers see several seasons through before a strong new production is ready. Sometimes farmers in the Willamette Valley wait for three years for the switch over to complete, says Sites of the Oregon Hops Commission.
Hops farmers' spring requirements are quite the undertaking if you really break it down: their early season is spent pruning through use of tractor-drawn equipment to remove debris and leave a flat surface for fresh shoots to rise. Next comes the chemical pruning in April, meant to remove early growth and allow growers to troubleshoot any mildew spores.
Early April sees the beginning of the twining process. Seven person crews are required in order to tie the twine to overhead trellis wires, ensuring that the lower end of the twine makes its way into the center of each hop plant.
May brings the most cumbersome task: training the hops plants to climb the twine supports. Workers must visit each hop plant and wrap each hop plant in a clockwise direction so they can begin growing to the top of the trellis. This training time is one of the most crucial in determining the yield.
In order to not merely pay bills, but turn a profit, hops growers often set out with a goal of grossing around $8000 an acre. On a 6000-8000 acre farm, farmers require around $2.30 per lb to break even for their sale of super alpha. Because aroma varieties yield so much less (1200 lbs an acre to the 3500 lbs of alpha an acre), they must charge around $6.00 per lb for the aromas.
But people are paying for it, and if the numbers from recent years can tell you anything (there are currently more than 2,800 craft breweries operating in the US), they will continue to do so.
Future of the Industry
Though George expects the craft beer industry to mature at some point, there's still so much work to be done to keep up with the current demand. Hop growers are so busy constructing their aroma fields that they haven't had the time to start a surplus industry yet. "We'll get there eventually," George says.
The US, which stands as the largest producer of hops in the world, still produces more alpha than aroma for overseas markets. George says the growth in aromas is largely on a domestic scale, not an international one. But as there's a two year time lag on export figures, it will be fascinating to watch the next stats on aromas. Brazil, Israel, Germany are the international locales currently leading in craft beer production today, she says.
Jared Vallejo, Marketing Director for Iron Horse Brewery says that since he's started there in 2009, people around the industry have talked "IPA's all day long." Right behind their Irish Death top seller, which accounts for 55-75% of all sales, is the wildly popular High Five Hefe commodity, a honey ginger wheat beer that comes in 12 ounce cans, a "real hit."
Vallejo says that the brewers at Iron Horse are working hard to pack in the liquid and grains, keeping up with the demand of the marketplace.
Loyal customers like Travis Williams of Ellensburg couldn't be more grateful for the fruits of their labors. Having grown up in Belgium, Williams acquired an appreciation for finely crafted brews while watching his parents savor them. In fact, if he's at a party and someone hands him a Coors or a Budweiser, he'll kindly refuse.
"I won't drink a lesser beer," he says. And what he appreciates that instead of being met with a baffled expression, he's now met with understanding. "A lot of people my age (late 20's) are getting used to drinking craft beers."
Williams, a self-confessed beer aficionado, frequents all the pubs he can within a 120 mile radius. Among the best, he credits: Black Raven, Elysium Brewing, Mack and Jacks, Schooner, and Snoqualmie Brewing Company.
Williams' favorite ale served at Iron Horse? None other than Irish Death, the year- round variety with the skull and crossbones label that lifted the Ellensburg based brewery on the map.
"Our current footprint is 98% of Washington," Vallejo says. "We're also in eastern Oregon, a little Portland, northern Idaho, western Montana, and we've just entered Alaska. By 2014 we plan to be in all of Idaho and Oregon."
There's so much variety today that every palette can be satisfied. George says that "American style aromas are really bright and robust whereas European styles are milder." Citrus, Cascades, and Centennials are abounding across the states. No longer a niche market, the Brewers Association tells us craft beer brought in 14.3 billion in sales in 2013, which was up 20% from the previous year.
Vallejo says that one question he often hears is "what's the next big trend in the industry?" To this he answers, "It's still IPA. The competitive landscape is changing, and IPAS don't seem to be stopping any time soon."
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