Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest It is fascinating to note the importance of alcoholic beverages in humanity’s lives as a centerpiece for strengthening bonds, socializing, celebrating, or simply de-stressing. After water and tea, beer is the third most popular drink in the world and the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the world. In 2016, the annual global average alcohol consumption per person over 15 years old is 6.4 liters, and this accounts for the variety of alcoholic beverages consumed. Note that “wine contains around 12% of pure alcohol per volume so that one liter of wine contains .12 liters of pure alcohol. The global average of 6.4 liters of pure alcohol per person per year, therefore, equals 53 bottles of wine, (or)… around 1 liter of wine per week,” based on the website Our World in Data. But the rising global temperatures now mark a harbinger for climate change’s effects, not only to how we live, and what we eat, but even down to all our libations. What can we do? Fix climate change. From the packaging that comes along with our drinks, or any other purchase for that matter, we can choose wisely. Will you buy another round, when you can only finish half? Are you reusing your wine bottles or bringing your plastics to an upcycler? Are you putting more than enough ice on your drink? The bottom line is not just beer. It’s everything. It takes everyone’s responsibility to make sustainability work, every day in every way. From DrinkManila’s #DMHappyHour +1 session held in June with guest, former Department of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Atty. Lucille Sering (founder of Isda Foundation Inc. and also former head of Climate Change Commission Philippines), many alarming realities were tackled. Some disturbing enough to sober you up in seconds! “What is driving climate change is the increase in temperature. All raw materials used to make drinks are based on agriculture. Every time there’s an increase in temperature, no matter how small, it impacts soil fertility, and all things connected to it,” explains Atty. Sering. Watch the full episode of #DMHappyHour +1 with Atty. Lucille Sering here. A study conducted by Radio Veritas in 2012 showed that 66% of Filipinos are alcoholic beverage drinkers. The study also revealed that drinkers with a monthly wage of Php 5,000 all the way up to Php 24,000 all consumed beer and other spirits. Regardless of economic standing, somehow we Filipinos find a way to be in good spirits with our “good spirits!” Though it stated that there are more Filipino women beer drinkers than men, it didn’t conclude whether it was only as a result of statistical fact that there are more females than males. At any rate, 66% of Filipinos translates to about 72 million Filipino drinkers, who are going to feel the impact of climate change, if not yet in the taste and quality of the drinks, definitely on the pocket. It’s bad enough that last year, the House of Representatives approved the bill allowing higher taxes on beer and other liquor for the purpose of reaching the proposed national budget for 2020. And 2020, had surprises of its own. The pandemic has crippled logistical ease when it comes to goods, thus causing a recent rise in the prices of liquors and spirits among other items. Even wine drinkers will be affected. Atty. Sering gives an example on the issue at hand, “If you’re a winemaker, in 10 hectares you’re (usually) producing 2 tons. But, because of climate change, you can’t produce 2 tons anymore, so you’d like to expand. You’re now changing the landscape and environment. You’re cutting the trees so you can convert it into something productive. (Unwittingly), you’re now changing the habitat of the bats.” The production of barley is another affected agricultural raw product. If you love beer so much, know that your favorite brew can’t be made without four crucial ingredients: water, hops and yeast, and barley. No barley = no beer! For the Scotch aficionados, barley is an integral ingredient, too. Currently, producers are already looking for alternatives to barley such as cassava. Let’s hope and pray for the best.