Beer Can Shortage Cripples America
But the good news is nobody will come to your BBQ so you can quarantine in peace.
We survived the yeast, flour, toilet paper, and seed shortages. We made it through the Great Bean Rationing and the run on canning lids.
And today, I’m going to meet a guy in a dark alley to buy a photo printer because apparently, everyone’s dusting off their Nikons to take macro photos of bees.
But there’s one shortage coming down the pike that nobody could’ve imagined… it’s almost as serious as if America ran out of apple pie.
We’re low on aluminum cans
Yes, friends, your Dr. Pepper, cheap beer, and White Claw seltzer is in short supply, but not because the nation its out—it’s because there’s nothing to put it in.
If only there was a “bring your own vat” fountain at the local bulk store, we’d be set. Turns out, we’re not drinking less, but since restaurants closed, these drinks aren’t being kegged or put into bulk syrup canisters, you’re buying it all in bottles and cans. Now, there aren’t enough cans.
This may be a problem for most of America, but not for the Poser Homestead.
First, we hate cans.
Second, there isn’t much we can’t brew or make ourselves. I’ve long hated the overflowing recycling bin that comes with lawn beer season, and drinks in aluminum cans are not only bad for the environment—they taste like…aluminum cans.
If the zombie apocalypse does one good thing for us it’s this—makes us think about the chip shots we can do, even on a poser homestead.
Crafting beverages is one. Sure, I can’t make you a Dr. Pepper, but I can out-gourmet that any day of the week.
Things you can drink without a can or bottle
Water
You don’t need plastic one-use water bottles or water with a French name. We have a Berkey pitcher at home. The filters are hard-core and last forever. Bear Grylls could pee in it and clean water would come out the other end. The filters last four years, too, unlike Brita cartridges, which I changed on the hour. Also, the Berkey is stainless steel and can’t be destroyed, as opposed to every plastic filter pitcher I’ve owned that leaks or dumps water all over my kitchen.
Berkey pitchers aren’t cheap, but you can get them on eBay, Marketplace, or in the community—look for a hippie estate sale or someone downsizing a house. Most people don’t recognize the value of the Berkey pitcher, so you can scoop one up at a junk sale or used online if you know what you’re looking for.
Coffee and Tea
I love my barista, but I can deconstruct my favorite paragraph-long drink at home for pennies. I start with good beans and teas. I buy them in bulk and store them properly (tea in a tin, coffee in the freezer).
Here’s favorite sweet coffee drink—Vietnamese coffee. If you’re a coffee snob or have no electricity brew with a French press or try pour over coffee. If you can order your drink at Starbucks in 20 minutes or less, rest assured you can make it at home. Here are some great recipes for flavored coffee creamers, too.
Kombucha
Kombucha is very easy to make. You need a SCOBY (culture), some good black tea, sugar, and a couple weeks lead time. Kombucha is $4-$6 at the store. It costs me a few cents to make and mine is better than canned or bottled kombucha. Here’s my official “how to.” And, if you reach out and ask nicely, I might even send you a SCOBY. These things multiply like fruit flies. I usually have one or ten to gift. They’re the “friendship bread” of this generation.
Soda and Beer
You can DIY both these things. Whether you go for something like a Soda Stream or let your carbonated kombucha serve the purpose of soda (add in extra fruit, flavors, and carbonate it—see the Kombucha post—a little extra), you can do this.
And beer is even easier—it’s not that hard to brew. You need a big kettle, bottles that you’ll use again and again, and some refrigerator space, and you can brew your own beer. With a bit of planning your beer will be ready before your Skype Family Reunion.
Don’t fret the can shortage—or the other shortages for that matter. Use them as a point of inspiration to expand your poser homestead skills!
Thanks to Keenan Barber on Unsplash for the PBR photo. You know I wouldn’t be caught dead buying such things.
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