(NewsNation) — Supply chain issues, which have consistently caused headaches since the rise of COVID-19, have claimed the supply of carbon dioxide, a key ingredient in making beer, as its latest victim.
Combined with a contamination issue at one of the nation’s largest CO2 manufacturers in Mississippi, those supply chain issues now have beer drinkers worried a shortage of their beloved brew could be on the horizon.
A popular craft brewery in Massachusetts has already cut jobs because of the shortage.
Shortages of CO2 began to appear in 2020, when the production of ethanol, which supplies 45% of all domestic CO2, began to slow down.
CO2 is not the only issue facing the brewing industry. Train strikes across the Midwest are further threatening supply.
All this has happened as the demand for alcohol has continued to rise since the onset of the pandemic.