NPR: Carbon Dioxide Shortage Imperils Beer Supply

NPR reports:

Carbon dioxide has no taste, no odor, and no color — but it’s a vital ingredient in the beer business, from putting frothy bubbles in brews to blocking oxidization that makes beer taste stale.

But brewers are now worried that a carbon dioxide shortage could force production cuts and price hikes. It’s the latest threat to an industry that’s been whipsawed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The shortage is more dire in some regions than others, and some of the worst pain is being felt by small craft brewers. In Massachusetts, Night Shift Brewing said this summer that it would halt most production at its base in Everett, where it’s been making beer for the past decade.

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