It’s a cold, foggy morning outside the warehouse in northwest Spain, but inside it’s toasty, with LED lights tricking 360 hop plants into thinking it’s late August.

These robust climbing plants, atop an impressive network of cables and wire, are in full bloom and adorned with delicate papery-green hops, which are highly valued for contributing to the distinct scent and crisp, refreshing bitterness of beer.

Typically grown outdoors, the hop plants are a part of an innovative indoor farming initiative by the Spanish company Ekonoke. To preserve the drinkability of beer, the company has created a different method of cultivating this commodity that is sensitive to climate change.

Increased droughts and rising temperatures, according to experts, have made hop harvests in Europe more erratic, resulting in lower yields and lesser-quality alpha acids in the resins and oils that are so important to the flavour and character of various beers.

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SOURCE: Phys.org
PHOTO CREDIT: Ekonoke