Can Shortage Could Soon Limit Beer Supplies

Consumers could soon see "rampant and unprecedented" beer shortages.

The pandemic has been a boom period for many brewers as quarantined Americans’ demand for alcohol has spiked.

But for some, a wrinkle has emerged as they struggle to meet demand: the U.S. is running out of cans.

Brewers like Molson Coors and Karl Strauss are reportedly shelving some of their slower-moving and seasonal brands to keep can supply dedicated for their big sellers.

The Brewers Association says larger brewers are seeing extended wait times for cans, and orders for some smaller beverage companies aren’t even being fulfilled.

Increased demand due to COVID-19 is just one of the causes. Experts say America’s newly discovered thirst for hard seltzer has also contributed to the run on cans.

CNN says this means consumers could soon see "’rampant and unprecedented’ beer out-of-stocks from the nation's largest suppliers,” according to one analyst.

The Can Manufacturers Institute says “unprecedented demand” has caused U.S. producers to import billions of empty cans.

Even so, experts say the wine and beer industry fears lost business will result from their inability to meet demand.

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