Japan: Major beer makers rushing to develop rain- and heat-resistant ingredients

Major Japanese breweries are rushing to develop rain- and heat-resistant varieties and novel cultivation techniques for barley and hops, the main ingredients of beer, Jiji Press reported on August 19.

Such ingredients are no exception to the impact that climate change is seen having on many agricultural products, such as lower quality and reduced yields.

“It is possible that a can (of beer) will cost 800 yen or more in the future,” an industry official said regarding worries over possible difficulties procuring ingredients due to abnormal weather. In such a case, “nobody would drink beer, and (the beer market) would continue to shrink.”

Sapporo Breweries Ltd. successfully developed this year barley that is both rain-resistant and creates good flavor and durable foam when brewed.

Barley often germinates if exposed to prolonged rain right before being harvested, rendering it unusable for beer, whereas the newly developed variety reduces the risk of germination in such conditions by about six-sevenths, according to Sapporo Breweries.