Greater Des Moines leaders, including our friends at Catch Des Moines and the Greater Des Moines Partnership, are selling this area’s festivals, recreation trails, and, importantly, diverse and tasty microbrews. Perhaps we should praise our carbon dioxide supplies, too. 

Huh?

We wouldn’t want to turn into the United Kingdom, where beer is being rationed due to a shortage of carbon dioxide. I can’t imagine if my colleagues John Retzlaff and Kurt Helland — among the biggest fans of fine beer in our shop — walked into El Bait Shop or Court Avenue Brewing Co. and were told they would have to keep their consumption down to some small level, due to CO2 concerns. 

The problem in the UK extends to soda and even meat refrigeration and comes because ammonia plants that produce fertilizer ingredients and CO2 are down for maintenance. So shops are supposed to get by on 300 cans of each beer brand. CNN said people are in a fizz because the shortage hits during hot weather AND the World Cup soccer tournament, a very trying challenge for dedicated beer-drinkers.