A European C02 Shortage Has Led to Beer Rationing in the UK

An international shortage of food-grade carbon dioxide is posing a significant threat to summer fun this year—including for soccer fans headed to bars to watch the World Cup. The lack of bubbles affects beer, cider, and soda makers, and as a result, a UK wholesaler just started rationing drink supplies, according to CNBC.

The wholesaler, Booker, supplies bars, restaurants, and stores, but it's currently rationing its customers to 10 cases of beer and five cases of cider or soft drinks each. Heineken has also warned that shortages of Amstel and John Smith's beers are coming, and Coca-Cola was forced to temporarily pause production of some of its sodas.

The shortage of CO2 is the result of closures at several gas-producing plants in Europe. A number of ammonia plants and bioethanol plants—both of which provide food-grade CO2—shut down for planned repair work this summer. Their shutdowns just happened to coincide with the season of the year when everyone wants to either be outside with a refreshing fizzy drink or downing beers at a sports bar watching the World Cup. (That's particularly true in the UK, where fans will gather to watch England play Colombia on July 3.)

Fortunately, the situation should eventually repair itself, putting cold beers back in the hands of anyone who wants one.

"We'd like to reassure beer drinkers that all our breweries are operating at full capacity, and we're working 24/7 to get beers to our customers as quickly as possible," a Heineken spokeswoman said in a statement this week, according to the BBC.