Europe faces beer drought, thanks to carbon dioxide shortage

n one end, cannabis becomes legal in Canada; far away in Europe, good beer inches towards endangerment.

If a British trade group is to be believed, Northern Europe is facing a shortage of carbon dioxide. Like it or not, this could, in turn, lead to beer lacking the fizz it needs to be good beer.

What's worse is, World Cup fans in Europe may now be posed with the threat of celebrating victories and processing losses without mugs full of good ol' strong beer.

WHY THE SHORTAGE?

British Soft Drinks Association Director General Gavin Partington said the shortage is due to the closure of several production sites for various reasons, including seasonal maintenance.

Industry publication Gasworld, meanwhile, says the situation is worse this year because normal maintenance has coincided with technical issues at chemical plants that also produce carbon dioxide.

With this shortage coming around the same time as the FIFA World Cup only doubles the problem. The British Beer and Pub Association predicts England fans will drink an extra 14 million pints during the group stages of the tournament, which last about two weeks.

"We will continue to monitor the situation carefully," said Brigid Simmonds, the groups chief executive. "However, given the time of year and the World Cup, this situation has arisen at an unfortunate time for the brewing industry."

Bad news doesn't stop there. The shortage of carbon dioxide could also affect meat producers, who may have trouble preserving some fresh foods.

'It's hot and it's football': Fans want beer!