An ongoing challenge – not just for beer but all agricultural products – is how much science? Not easy to answer. But I think we’ve proved in Oregon that you can breed “good for us” changes in hops without turning to genetic modification.

And then there is whole issue of turning cereal grains from annual plants to perennials. Again, advances being made in the west – in this case wheat, and through breeding rather than GMOs.

On topic: Without scientifically modifying ingredients, we wouldn’t have lagers as we know them today. Carlsberg isolated the lager yeast in a classic example of Man Meddling Where He Was Not Meant To Tread.

On the flipside, and I know this sounds anti-progress), by modifying grain and hops to reduce the necessary volume and squeeze more Euros out of each crop, we create situations like the current hop shortage, where farms concentrate on smaller-scale production of high alpha hops. Gradually, fewer hops are grown per year, because the GMO stuff gives so much more profitable output per acre. Then, one bad harvest and BOOM! Suddenly the brewers are in turmoil and beer prices skyrocket.

That’s my big worry, but I think it’s proving legitimate.

I am just happy to see some of this bubble economics is going to charity.