Brace yourself for Pretty in Pink beers

Second Shift Hibiscus Wit

Just how much longer until Hibiscus Wit is declared an official World Beer Style?

MateVeza Morpho Herbal Ale is the latest yerba mate beer from MateVeza and pours a distinct shade of pink. I’m wondering if Hamburger Mary’s in Chicago will bring its Hibiscus Wit to the Great American Beer Festival next week. There are several others breweries that use a measure of hibiscus in the recipe, although it’s hard to imagine any of their beers during out pinker than 2nd Shift Hibiscus Wit (pictured above as it was poured at the St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival in June).

Hibiscus adds a nice herbal note to a wit beer, at least when its used well. But it’s the color that could make hibiscus beers the next Blue Moon White Pink.

And of course I’ll be hoping this paves the way for purple beers.

Prickly Pear Wit - New Mexico State Fair

Beer hopping rates: 1911-2011

Notice a trend here?

In 1911, exactly one hundred years ago, world consumption of hops was 0.63 pounds per hectoliter (0.54 per barrel), amounting to 12.6 grams of alpha per hectoliter.

The best comparison going forward is grams of alpha per hectoliter, rather than bulk, because of the advent of high alpha hops and the use of pellets and extracts.

In the early 1970s — when about one-third of hops were processed, compared to nearly 90 percent today — the rate was 9 grams per hectoliter.

Here’s how it has progressed since:

1979 – 8 grams
1989 – 7 grams
1997 – 6 grams
2011 – 4.1 grams

Source: Barth Report, from the Barth Haas Group