America Could Face Beer Shortage Due to Extinct Underground Volcano

I wish I was drunk reporting this: A beer shortage in the U.S. is looming thanks to supply chain issues due to the pandemic and an extinct volcano (really). The supply of carbon dioxide needed to produce beer has taken a beating as a result, leaving breweries and beer makers struggling.

Said extinct volcano is The Jackson Dome, sitting 2,900 feet beneath Jackson, Mississippi, and has provided CO2 to the restaurant and beverage industries for decades. That CO2 supply was recently contaminated this summer from raw gas, further aggravating an ongoing CO2 shortage.

Brewers that are reporting production delays in distributing beer are looking to prepare for the worst, with possible plans to switch to nitrogen. Other brewers are using innovative technology to capture and recycle CO2 emissions.

Besides the possibility of a beer shortage, inflation has lead to cost spikes in malt, aluminum cans, labor and shipping.

The beer industry sure could use a drink right now.