Living in the world of the continually diminishing dollar, we've all gotten used to the occasional price increase. But watch out beer fans, as you are about to see the prices of your favorite brews climb faster than the price of gas!

By now many of you have probably heard about the international hops crisis -- in short, simultaneous crop failures at several key growers in Europe and the United States this year have made the price of hops quadruple over the course of the past few months.

For the uninitiated, hops are derived from the flowering buds of Humulus lupulus, a slow developing bine (like unto a vine, but with more sturdy adhesive infrastructure) which reaches sexual maturity and starts producing buds within three to five years. When used in brewing, hops provide that bitter taste so exclusively associated with the brew, and when used in a particular way, they also yield that unique green spice characteristic most well represented by the new generation of American brewers. (Fun Fact: In addition to being the primary flavoring component of beer, the hops plant is a close relation to cannabis, which incidentally is used as beer flavoring in certain nations more liberal than our own.)

So okay, the prices go up, but surely supply and demand will yield a compensation! If only. Humulus lupulus' slow development means that viable replacement stock (particularly of high grade 'noble hops') may be as much as half a decade in the growing! Add to this a recent warehouse fire which consumed a good 4% of the domestic hops stockpile, and we've got ourselves a major problem.

A crisis such as this was inevitable and has been a long time coming. This latest manifestation is symptomatic of an American agriculture contrary to the production of craft beer. The only reason that failures at a small number of growers have affected prices so dramatically is that so few producers remain! For the small farmer, the siren's song of government subsidy must be nearly impossible to resist; if the government says it will pay them to let their land lie fallow or grow the much more tractable corn, then why shouldn't they? In the last decade, when hop prices had been relatively low, many producers found the lure irresistible. For this reason the crisis is actually twofold, as the same option had been presented to the Midwest grain grower, resulting in a dearth of maltable grains, the very foundation of all things "beer."

What this means to the consumer in the short run is higher prices-- and we are talking as much as 25% in the case of some of your more heavily hopped, lower production beers. Expect your favorite IPAs to go up as much as $3 a six pack, and don't be surprised if less hopped but well established microbrews like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Anchor Steam cost an extra buck or two within the first months of the New Year. Imports should also see a marked price increase as European and Aussie producers are also feeling the pinch.

Looking a little further down the line, you will likely see your favorite brewers curtail their offerings so as to get the most out of their diminished hops supply. In order to keep their primary money makers going, infamously hop-mad producers like Dogfish Head and Stone may very well cull the less efficient but wildly popular high-end brews from their portfolios in order to focus on the simple lagers and ales that will keep them financially afloat.

But the real tragedy here is in the long term, as not every brewery is going to weather this storm. Vying for a cut of the dwindling supply of grain and hops are some 1,400 domestic microbreweries-- not even taking into consideration the gargantuan needs of the Macros (Miller, Bud, Coors, et al) there is not nearly enough to go around. As current farmers' afflicted supply rehabilitates and (God willing) new producers begin production, many small but beloved producers will be left high and dry. If the names Weyerbacher, Southern Tier, Great Divide, or Anderson Valley ring any sort of bell, be forewarned: just as an artist is destitute without canvas and paints, so too are these specialty brewers and their ilk (artists in their own right!) left vulnerable without a steady and sustainable supply of material.

Word on the street is that the Macros were well aware of the tough times ahead and as such will not be increasing their prices in the foreseeable future, thus making the life of the small brewer even more difficult. If you are an avid beer fan, a supporter of small business, and possessed of regional pride, now is the time to use your power as a consumer to make good on those beliefs. The Mid-Atlantic region is a hotbed of brewing activity, occupied by many an honest brewer in need of your support: do yourself a favor and seek out some of the great beers they have to offer. Clipper City Brewing Company out of Baltimore offers a fantastic line of beer which is widely available and appropriate to any palate. In Hampton, VA The St George Brewing Company produces an impressive lineup which includes a stout that would give Guinness a run for its money. The ales and lagers of Starr Hill Brewery are very impressive, and being brewed in Crozet, VA, they are the closest thing a DC native is going to get to a local microbrew since the sad departure of Foggy Bottom Brewery. Finally, though they likely need no introduction for even the novice beer connoisseur, Dogfish Head Brewery of Milton, Delaware, proud producer of some of the strongest, hoppiest beers on the planet, would certainly appreciate your continued support of their innovative, esoteric endeavors.

With the belt tightening well on nigh, now is the time to start voting with your wallet. If you love the hop monsters, make it known so that their masters may have the confidence to keep them coming. If your tastes are more run of the mill, consider a locally-made beer over one backed by a well-heeled corporation. And even if you are drinking on a budget, don't balk at spending that extra dollar, not only for the benefit of your taste buds, but for the continuation of the American, nay, International tradition of quality, low-production craft beer, a tradition in great danger and in need of your attention.