Colorado farmers test water-saving grains for beer and spirits

• This winter, when his 97-year-old Berthoud farm would typically sit idle, he's planting barley variants designed to weather colder temperatures and absorb precipitation in the wet spring.

Why it matters: The decision is driven by the West's water crisis and represents one of the micro-solutions that farmers, manufacturers and advocates are deploying to make a small but potentially impactful dent in consumption.

What he's saying: "I can see the writing on the wall just with everything going on with water in Colorado," Olander told the Post.

• "There's a possibility of a reduction in our allotment and also the possibility of not having runoff we typically see from snowpack. That's why I'm trying to be ahead of the game."

The big picture: Climate change may drive up the price of beer and spirits as extreme heat and drought lead to less bountiful harvests of barley and hops, another key beer ingredient.

• A 2018 study predicted beer prices could double because of climate-induced supply impacts.

Zoom in: Colorado breweries and distilleries are increasingly turning to Olander and other local maltsters to reduce their environmental footprint by localizing their supply chains.

A more environmentally responsible grain is the next step.

• Dune Valley Distillery in the San Luis Valley plans to release a vodka made from quinoa in January, the Post reports.
• Others are turning to millet — a gluten-free alternative — which requires less water to grow.

Yes, but: It remains an experiment. Olander has yet to malt the winter barley — called Lightning, Thunder and Buck — from a small plot he planted last year, so he doesn't know how it tastes.

• This year's another test.
• "Hopefully winter treats everything well and they'll survive," he says.

ICYMI: More from our water solutions series … conservation through adventure and water-wise vodka