Add a New Organic Flavor to Your Beer

Organic FlavorThe USDA has recently ruled that at all ingredients in organic beer must be organic for the brewer to earn organic certification. This bodes well for hop growers who cultivate this cash crop, as well as for beer itself, which depends on hops for its uniquely bitter flavor.    

What is that new flavor?

Of the total ingredients that go into beer, hops make up only a small percentage – roughly, one pound for every 32 pounds of organic beer. However, this ingredient is what defines the flavor of beer by giving the brew its distinctively tart appeal.

Cascade hops, which are very different from European hops in terms of their fruit, aroma, and taste, are used in many craft beers. These hops are grown largely in Washington’s YakimaValley, but of the total of 30,000 acres devoted to hop cultivation, only 100 acres were reserved for organic hops as of 2010. Nation-wide, however, organic hop production tripled from 70,000 pounds in 2011 to 218,000 pounds last year, and it is worth noting that fully ten per cent of the total hop production in the US is organic.

Organic hops have a strong appeal for environment-conscious customers because their cultivation doesn’t use herbicides or synthetic pesticides. However, hop plants are susceptible to pests, easily affected by extreme weather conditions, and require enormous amounts of nitrogen for growth. So, non-organic hop cultivation, with the help of synthetic substances has a higher yield than organic hop farming.

While organic hops are welcome, is organic beer tastier? Lau Ackerman, who cultivates hops for brewer Sierra Nevada, says there might be a difference in quality, as is evident in organic food. Glen Fuller, who grows hops at his Rising Sun Farm, thinks that organic beer is tangier, with a citrus edge that people seem to like.

Eco friendly promotional items used in farming and food industry

With the world getting increasingly “green,” many big names in farming and the food industry are using eco friendly promotional items to earn goodwill with consumers and increase market share.

Farms that have gone “organic,” follow natural methods of cultivation, using green manure, biological pest control, compost, and crop rotation to produce a range of fruits, vegetables, spices, and condiments. Food companies are offering more eco friendly products, like organic foods. These are made from the yield of farms that follow organic cultivation standards, and they are processed without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, or chemical food additives.

Source: http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/06/11/organic-beer-organic

Speak Your Mind

Copyright © 2024 Custom Grocery Bags. All Rights Reserved