A confluence of events have hit microbreweries with skyrocketing hops prices: bad weather in Europe, a 2006 fire at a warehouse in Yakima, Washington and the conversion of hop farms to more profitable crops in the 1990s.
The beer giants like Anheuser-Busch can sleep soundly since they acquire future contracts guaranteeing the delivery of hops at an agreed-upon price. The small brewers rely primarily on short-term contracts or purchasing on the spot making the financial demands of running a small business even more difficult.