What tariffs mean for your beer — no matter where it’s brewed

You may be tempted to cry into your beer over all of the up-to-date problems with the commercial sector and the rising prices of well everything Unfortunately your beer will be more expensive too No matter what you think of the U S tariffs being imposed on preponderance of the world s nations they will have an impact on all of us and on the beer industry If you re thinking Please no I just want to relax with my favorite beer and not think about politics I wish I had better news As noted by experts like Bart Watson president of the Brewers Association a contract group representing thousands of America s small brewers the industry is facing several challenges of uncertainty right now Here s how tariffs could affect beer consumers like you Brewing locally Even if your favorite beer is brewed locally numerous of the ingredients and packaging come from far away in particular cases very far away While multiple varieties of hops grow on the West Coast particularly in Oregon and Washington there are quite a insufficient that can only be grown in far-flung places like New Zealand the Hallertau region of Germany or Kent England For example to make a great number of authentic styles of lagers you need a specific group of hops known as noble hops which can only be grown in Europe If import taxes on European products move forward it s likely that prices will go up for beer made with European Noble hops often used to make Pilsners M rzen Helles Bocks and other lagers Courtesy Getty Images iStockphoto But perhaps even more troubling is that a lot of the barley and wheat used to make your beer comes from Canada Europe and Australia Similar to hops specific strains of barley and wheat are used to produce specific tastes in different styles of beer It s the combination of these ingredients that gives beer its seemingly infinite variety of flavors For example it s not uncommon to see a beer made with barley from Canada a little specialty malt from Germany and hop varieties from New Zealand the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom These ingredients from all over the map come together in your local brewery and when skillfully combined by the brewer create the unique flavors in the beer you love There s really no other way it can be done and multiple breweries don t know how to address this other than by raising prices Aluminum and steel It will also become more expensive to take home beer or pick specific up at the grocery store Over the last decade or so canned beer has come to dominate craft beer But the imposition of a tariff on aluminum is going to play havoc with the price of a six-pack especially since the tariffs affecting aluminum and steel have not been paused Another related issue is metal kegs About of all kegs come from either the European Union or China Sadly more expensive kegs will also mean higher prices for your pint Then there are the costs to maintain or upgrade brewing gear with stainless steel components While there are a few American brewing equipment manufacturers multiple prominent and well-respected equipment manufacturers hail from Europe and China Buying from them could become almost impossible for new breweries looking to open their first brewhouse Barley ripens on the Canadian prairies Largest part of the barley imported to the U S comes from Canada Courtesy Getty Images Plenty of are speculating that the price of a six-pack could go as high as with pints as high as Absolutely put breweries will have to pay more a lot more in multiple cases to buy the ingredients they need to make their beer Even if you could figure out a homegrown substitute and even if you could convince farmers to fully shift what they re growing to satisfy brewers requirements it would still take years to make the switch Hops for example take three years to generate a full yield What to do This could not have come at a worse time for a beer industry not fully recovered from the ravages of the COVID- lockdowns In the short term it can t hurt to call or write your Congress member and voice your concerns But with the chaos and uncertainty surrounding how and when the tariffs are being applied preponderance breweries are waiting to see exactly where they land when the dust settles Related Articles Brewery Day Trip The Barlow in Sebastopol Hopping into spring beer styles for sunnier days Brewery Day Trip The unofficial San Leandro Ale Trail Introducing the first-ever American Craft Beer Hall of Fame Brewery Day Trip Sip your way through San Ramon Meantime to give your favorite brewery a fighting chance buy from them directly and visit their brewery taproom if they have one Enjoy their beer even if it gets more expensive Drink less if you have to but drink better Contact Jay R Brooks at BrooksOnBeer gmail com