Heavy rains, droughts and storms exacerbated by climate change are making the production of traditional alcoholic beverages difficult.
Weather changes aggravated or more frequent due to climate change are endangering some of the favorite alcoholic drinks of Europeans. Torrential rains, droughts and storms mean that traditional products such as wine or spirits begin to taste different or may disappear completely.
Producers are experimenting with ways to protect crops or modify recipes, but there may not be a solution for all endangered alcoholic beverages. From the prosecco in Italy until Guinness In Ireland, these are the drinks at risk from climate change.
Prosecco production could be reduced by a fifth
He prosecco is a sparkling white wine produced in the vineyards of the mountain slopes of northeastern Italy. But he grape yield is decreasingdevastated by a lethal combination of extreme weather and land degradation. A new analysis – published in the journal ‘iScience’ last year – describes the crop as “fragile and threatened”.
Sudden, heavy rains cause sudden soil erosion and hillslides in the steep vineyards of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, where the higher quality prosecco. Another problem is drought, which makes irrigating crops extremely difficult.
Unstable weather – caused by climate change – could reduce Italian harvests of wine grape up to a fifth, according to the producers’ estimates.
Climate change gives a new flavor to Hungarian pálinka
Pálinka is a traditional fruit brandy produced in Hungary since medieval times.
The drink is protected as a geographical indication of the European Union and Only fruit spirits macerated, distilled, matured and bottled in Hungary can be called pálinka..
The most used fruits are plums, apricots, apples, pear, raspberries, gooseberries y cherriesbut some of them are increasingly difficult to grow.
According to climatology experts, meteorological changes in Hungary are endangering fruit crops such as raspberries and blackcurrants.
The prevailing westerly winds are becoming weaker, while northerly and southerly weather conditions arrive more frequently. As a consequence, young fruit freezes on trees in springwhile crops have to face extreme drought in summer.
Some growers have tried planting late-flowering trees to avoid the May frosts, but this gives the pálinka a different flavour. Other distilleries have made the more radical decision to experiment with making pálinka with kiwiwhich Hungary’s changing climate now allows farmers to cultivate.
British beer could disappear due to climate change
The great british look could be a thing of the past as the climate changes. The warmer and drier climate is damaging hop growthwhich gives beer its bitter taste.
Scientists are working on obtaining hop varieties resistant to climate change to prevent the disappearance of this drink. “Without it, the British pint is going to die,” Danielle Whelan, from the Shepherd Neame brewery, told the BBC.
“We are only going to import beer and we will no longer have the culture that accompanies it.”
According to estimates by a research team from the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the University of Cambridge, Hop yields in Europe could decrease by up to 18% by 2050which means the continent’s beers are also in danger.
ADVERTISINGGuinness in danger due to water shortage
Diageo Plc is the largest spirits company in the world and is responsible for the production of drinks such as gin Tanqueraybeer Guinness and irish cream Baileys.
Michael Alexander, Diageo’s global head of water, environment and agricultural sustainability, told Time that the company is concerned about the water shortage for production.
Water makes up more than 60% of spirits and more than 90% of beer. Last year, the drinks group operated from 43 sites around the world in water-scarce areas.
“You can have the most efficient brewery or distillery in the world,” Alexander told Time. “But it’s still not going to mitigate your risk if there’s a drought.”
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