A worldwide shortage in hops, a key ingredient in beer, is hitting home in Vermont.
Breweries are raising prices and re-thinking their recipes to cope.
Steve Parkes is head brewer at Otter Creek brewery, in Middlebury. He says Otter Creek has had to pay more for some hops and change its strategy for making a couple of beers.
Otter Creek’s spring beer, Extra Special Bitter, couldn’t be made this year because the English hops called for in the recipe were unavailable.
The owner of McNeill’s Brewery in Brattleboro, Ray McNeill, says his Imperial Stout and Imperial India Pale Ale won’t be available in bottles until next year because of the shortage.