Disaster Looms for British Pubs: Beer Shortage During the World Cup

Disaster(diˈzastər) Looms(lo͞om) for British Pubs(pəb): Beer(bi(ə)r) Shortage(ˈSHôrtij) During the World Cup

Lager drinkers wring(riNG) their hands but cask(kask)-ale(āl) aficionados(əˌfiSH(ē)əˈnädō,əˌfisyə-) hope a carbon(ˈkärbən) dioxide(dīˈäkˌsīd) scarcity(ˈskersitē) will drive orders for old-school brews(bro͞o) served at room temperature(-ˌCHo͝or,ˈtemp(ə)rəCHər)

By Saabira Chaudhuri

Beer today, gone tomorrow?

A shortage of carbon dioxide, the gas that puts the magic fizz(fiz) in beer, means England’s hotly anticipated(anˈtisəˌpāt) summer of soccer(ˈsäkər) and beer could fall flat(flat). Ammonia(-nēə,əˈmōnyə) plants have shut down across Europe, many for routine(ro͞oˈtēn) maintenance(ˈmānt(ə)nəns,ˈmāntn-əns), and Britain(ˈbritn), with only one operating CO2 plant, could be the hardest hit.

The supply chain(CHān) hiccup(ˈhikəp) represents(ˌrepriˈzent) tragedy(ˈtrajidē) or opportunity depending on where pub patrons(ˈpātrən) stand in a battle of the brews(bro͞o).

Seasoned(ˈsēzənd) drinkers of cask ale—the peculiarly(pəˈkyo͞olyərlē) British, naturally carbonated(ˈkärbənātid) beer that’s often drunk at room temperature—hope fans of artificially(ˌärtəˈfiSHəl) carbonated lager will discover “proper beer” as 30% of Brits crowd(kroud) pubs to celebrate(ˈseləˌbrāt) the fortuitous(fôrˈto͞oətəs) collision(kəˈliZHən) of a heat(hēt) wave(wāv) and World Cup soccer.

“There are plenty(ˈplentē) of fantastic(fanˈtastik) real ales, ciders(ˈsīdər) and perries(ˈperē) that will be completely(kəmˈplētlē) unaffected(ˌənəˈfektid) by the impending CO2 shortage,” said Tom Stainer, a spokesman(ˈspōksmən) for the Campaign(kamˈpān) for Real Ale.

The group, founded in 1971, coined(koin) the term “real ale” to distinguish traditional draft cask beers from the highly carbonated beers sold by major brewers. Real ale contains live yeast(yēst) and fermentable sugar, allowing the brew(bro͞o) to mature(-ˈt(y)o͝or,məˈCHo͝or) in the same container(kənˈtānər) from which it is dispensed(disˈpens). There’s no CO2 in the production process(prəˈses,ˈpräsəs,ˈpräˌses,ˈprō-). Some pubs rely on carbonation to dispense cask ales but many use hand pumps(pəmp) or, sometimes, gravity(ˈgravitē).

“We would encourage anyone who’s looking forward to their next pint(pīnt) to take this opportunity to try a real ale,” Mr. Stainer said.

That stance(stans) makes Pete Brown, a beer writer and industry consultant(kənˈsəltnt), hopping mad. “Here’s a crisis(ˈkrīsis) that could cause immense(iˈmens) harm to the pubs you claim to support, and you use it as an opportunity to denigrate(ˈdeniˌgrāt) ‘fizz,’” he tweeted(twēt) at Mr. Stainer last week. “The 1970s called. They said go home, you’re drunk(drəNGk).”

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/disaster-looms-for-british-pubs-beer-shortage-during-the-world-cup-1529942223