Forget about rising gas prices- beer's going up!

Hey, Homer! Don't look now, but beer prices are about to take a big jump. While rising gas and oil prices have grabbed all the headlines, beer prices are set to take a quantum leap ahead. There are several reasons for the expected increase. As an unintended consequence to "global warming" hysteria, fewer farmers are growing barley, a main ingredient in brewing beer, in favor of corn, the main source of ethanol. Plus, droughts in key barley growing areas like Australia (yes, Australia, not Austria, mate) have diminished supplies of barley.

At a time when beer sales are flat, execs at Anheiseur-Busch and Coors are fretting about how much to raise retail prices and when. The little guys- specialty and micro-brewers- are going to be among the most hard hit. Because they don't enjoy the economies of scale like the huge brewing behemoths, they're talking about big increases in retail prices just to stay in business. A local Montana favorite, Red Lodge Ale, is expected to jump from $6.79 a six-pack to $7.99! Doh!

Don't be surprised if you start seeing more advertising for sub-premium brands like Keystone, Keystone Lite, Busch, Busch Lite, etc. as brewers struggle to maintain demand.

And you thought $4.00 gas sucked! Oh the humanity....