Big (Japanese) brewers fear a long, dry summer

[AsahinaKimi]

Japan's major beer makers may not be able to meet demand for suds this summer after breweries in northern and eastern Japan suffered major damage in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Sapporo Breweries Ltd., Kirin Brewery Co., Asahi Breweries Ltd. and Suntory Holdings Ltd. have all been forced to suspend or reduce production at facilities on the eastern Pacific coast of Japan's main island of Honshu.

"We apologize for the inconvenience caused by suspending orders and shipments of some products," Sapporo Holdings Ltd. President and Representative Director Takao Murakami told a shareholders meeting Wednesday.

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201103310180.html

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No Biru?? Gahhhh!! Need shipments of Tsingtao from Taiwan!!

[JuniperLea]

1. Noooooooooooooo!

Nature points out the folly of men, yet again!

[uppityperson]

2. "We apologize for the inconvenience caused by suspending orders and shipments of some products,"

I hope they are all ok. So much stuff is such a mess.

[AndyTiedye]

3. Loss of the Export Market May Compensate to Some Degree

Beer drinkers outside Japan may seek out a less radioactive brew.

[Initech]

4. No!!!

[AsahinaKimi]

5. Kicking for

fans of Japanese beer!! (Asahi is my favorite, but you probably knew that..)

[Tesha]

6. In the United States, Kirin Ichiban is brewed and bottled under license by the...

... ex Anheuser Busch brewery in Los Angeles
so that should remain available.

Tesha

[KamaAina]

7. Most Japanese beers here are contract-brewed

Sapporo, for example, comes from Ontario (the province, not the city in SoCal).

[JVS]

8. Will the reactors contaminate the whiskies of Japan?

[Shagbark Hickory]

9. I think japan has bigger problems right now than not having as much beer.

drinking water for example.
or millions of homeless people contaminated with radiation

[SoCalDem]

10. Exactly.. Those beer companies that are still up and operating would do well

to purify & bottle water. Perhaps the government could pay them the lost revenues to protect jobs.

The government is planning to inject lots of money into the economy anyway.. this could be a win win for everyone.