Published by Programme B

Beer Consumption Goes up During Lockdown

People do all sorts of things when they have time. And, when they are on lockdown, there is a lot of time to do a lot of things. So, for instance, many people decide to find entertainment online. They play video games or perhaps more classic games, such as blackjack. Often, they look for the right stratagem to beat the house. And why wouldn’t they? You can find viable strategies pretty much anywhere. For example, the blackjack strategy at blackjackdoc.com will provide you all the ins and outs of the game. But gaming aside, people love to drink and eat more when they are cooped up. That’s not a bad thing. Interestingly, beer and wine consumption go up during such lockdown periods.

Pubs Closed, But People Have a Hankering for Good Beer

You would think that people would turn to all sorts of vice during a lockdown, but none of this is actually tried. People just like to drink. In the United States, wine and beer consumption has gone up 28% on average, with people trying even all brands, and experimenting a bit with their palette.

After all, when you have so much time to try a few good things, and as it turns out – beer is a good thing indeed. While consumption has gone up, there have been some drawbacks, too. For example, many pubs have had to get rid of many kegs of unused beer, the result of the lockdown. Yet, with beer picked off the shelves, demand has been fairly unchanged allowing factories to keep pumping out quality drinks at a somewhat unchanged pace.

The Rise of the Craft Beer

One interesting trend has been the rise of the craft beer industry. While many pubs have been forced to get rid of their draft beer, craft beer has seemed on point no matter what. Imbibers who have been loyal to their favorite and somewhat original brews before the lockdown have remained loyal to it during and after the lockdown period – and no surprises there.

Admittedly, consumer habits have changed a bit. With no sports bars operating actively, people can’t really go into a huddle and chink their bottle to celebrate the victory of a favorite team, but suitable alternatives have become available. One of those alternatives is to watch virtual sports and some of the returning sports.

In any event, craft beer manufacturers have seen good support from consumers who have not only not given up on beer, but have made a point to buy more – and within their means. Of course, jobs in the sector have been affected, unfortunately, but this is how this lockdown has shaped up. Thankfully, there has been an initial uptick in consumption to give the industry a good standing.

Beer Goes All the Way Back

And, while some may conscientiously object that beer is not the right way to spend your lockdown time, human history can also object. The first report of the tasty brew goes, all the way back to the year 3,500 B.C. This is a long time ago you see, and humanity has always found consolation in imbibing brew to pull through any sort of crisis. And that’s not a bad thing.

Some civilizations, such as the Greeks, had days on which they could have all the beer and wine to their heart’s content. True, it was the celebration of Dionisius and wine was supposedly the preferred drink, but a closer examination on historic evidence suggests that Greece in the Antiquity had no issue with consuming just as much beer as any other drink – be that wine or surprisingly, tea.

Seeing people experiment with beer and create unique tastes is also inspiring. It allows many people to relax but also to take the next step in the evolution of this tasty brew, which is definitely no shame. Beer will persist long after we are gone, and that’s how it’s been for over 5,500 years now.