Beer in the Time of Coronavirus

You probably noticed quite few articles these days with the title, "___ in the Time of ____." 

Journalists are using this because it refers back to an amazing novel from 1985, "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Colombian Nobel prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez.  Written in the style of "magical realism" which he perfected, it's a story of love unrequited and unfulfilled yet eternal.

It ends with the two geriatric lovers quarantined, as it were, on a river boat which sails back and forth between towns infected with cholera, unable to disembark.  They will be doing this, you feel, forever.

Sound familiar?

We hope our strict measures of social distancing and self-quarantine will end before forever, but in the meantime, economies and businesses all over the world are struggling for their survival.  Food stores and pharmacies are still open for business, but all other retail trade, including restaurants and pubs, are not getting any foot traffic. 

Here in Israel, many retail outlets have begun to do home-deliveries in order to stay in business, including those which sell craft beer -- in bottles or by the glass.  I noticed that the same thing is happening in the U.S. and in other countries as well.

So this is an appeal to all my readers and beer lovers to support these stores and restaurants.  While you're home anyway, please order beer and food from the breweries, bottle shops and restaurants who will be only too happy to bring it to your door.  And from what I can read, they almost all are doing it.  You can find out more by searching them out on Facebook or the internet.                   

Times are going to be tough enough anyway.  There's no reason for us to suffer through them without beer.