Canadians Are Prepared For Any Drinking Emergency

A typical Canadian beer kit

When this happens it is often necessary to use extreme measures--no, not wine coolers--to meet their desperate refreshment needs. Fortunately, most resourceful Canadians own emergency beer kits, brewery-approved supplies that allow them to prepare and serve a form of "substitute" beer during times of crisis and beer shortage (usually these two are same thing).

To date, emergency beer kits have been credited with saving hundreds of parties, barbeques, and playoff gatherings.

The essential elements of these beer kits usually consists of several packages of beer drink crystals (typically 5% alcohol), 2 to 4 litres of bottled water, a beer jug, and a few plastic cups. More sophisticated kits may be comprised of liquid beer extracts, 2 to 4 litres of bottled water, a beer jug with a popular beer brand logo, and a few plastic cups with sports trivia questions printed on the sides.

While they may not taste exactly the same as professionally brewed ales, lagers, and heffenweisseses, emergency beer kit beers can meet the essential requirements of Canadian beer drinkers. While slightly lacking in flavour, most Canadians agree that emergency beer kit beer is still better than white wine, flavoured rum drinks, or champagne cocktails.

It can be difficult to prepare for natural catastrophes, such as when your clumsy best friend accidentally drops the two-four of Labatt's on the porch of your remote country cabin, shattering every bottle in a heart-wrenching sound that echos across the mountains like like a death wail. But with an emergency beer kit or two stored away with your camping supplies, the trip (and your friend's life) doesn't have to end that day.