We are pleased to publish the 2002 edition of Guidelines for Hop Buying. The data in this report reflect the latest information on the international hop market as well as a summary of recent events.

One of the key elements of Guidelines is the cumulative world alpha acids balance. Based upon our research and analytical results, we estimate that brewers worldwide will use an average of 5.2 grams of alpha per hectolitre in the 2002 brewing year. This reduction reflects the trend to less bitter beers and the increasing use of pre-isomerized and downstream hop products by brewers worldwide.

We trust that our report is informative and useful for your pre-sent and future hop-buying decisions. We would be pleased to answer any questions or comments that you have concerning the information presented in the following pages.

September/October 2002
Simon H. Steiner, Hopfen, GmbH