Super Bowl Party Trouble: Beer Prices Set To Rise
Posted: Friday, January 25, 2008
by Abigail Richards
Shortages of the two main ingredients in beer are set to send prices skyrocketing right before the day in which beer consumption is the highest: the Super Bowl.
Malted barley, whose sugar starches are fermented into alcohol, and hops, which add the bitter tang are hard to find these days. MSNBC is reporting that in recent months, both have been in increasingly short supply, and when they have been available, their prices have leaped - by as much as 500 percent in the case of hops.
In a statement, Anheuser-Busch said: "Like many industries, the beer industry is experiencing cost increases in raw materials. This is just one of many factors that contribute to beer costs. While we cannot disclose details of pricing, we feel it is important to offer competitive prices to growers."
What is the reason for the shortage? Brewers are blaming corn. Although corn does not appear in beer, it is the high demand for corn-based ethanol that has persuaded many farmers to devote more of their fields to corn and less to barley, creating a shortage and the resulting higher prices. Ethanol has also been blamed for higher milk, ice cream and pizza prices.
MSNBC reports that it is even worse for hops. Flooding has driven down European yields for the last two years just as historically low prices have caused many domestic farmers to abandon the crop.
Hot weather and circumstances also slashed the crop in the Pacific Northwest, where the vast majority of domestic hops are grown. Nearly 4 percent of the entire 2006 domestic crop went up in smoke thanks to a fire at a single warehouse in Yakima, Wash., in October 2006.
Can we survive without beer on Super Bowl Sunday? I am sure that organizations such as MADD are excited to hear the news. Of course, there are just as tasteful alternatives to the traditional beer on game day.
The great thing about the teams in this year Super Bowl is that your drinks can be regional. For instance, to represent the Giants serve The Manhattan or some Long Island Ice Tea. For New England serve a Cape Cod or use the base to make a Sea Breeze.
Just because beer prices may be on the rise, parties can still have alcohol. If you stick to the big breweries, most likely you will not be able to tell the difference. If game plans included a small brewery, maybe check out what they offer in cocktails.
If all else fails, Margaritas are sure to be a hit at every party. You can make them blue, red, etc. to match the team colors.
So get creative and don't let the increase in yet one more product get you down1 Enjoy the game and try some new drinks this Super Bowl. Who knows-it could be the start of a new tradition: Cocktails and Super Bowl!
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