Just a few weeks ago, George Peterson, owner of Central Coast Brewery in San Luis Obispo, Calif., spent $160 to brew a batch of beer equal to eight kegs. Last week, he was spending a staggering $920 per batch.

“It’s a big deal, and it’s something that you have to think about every day because it’s an ingredient. I can’t just pick up the phone like I used to and say, ‘Hi, I need 45 pounds of this,’ ” Peterson said.

Small breweries feel the worst pinch
Brewers said the average cost of a six-pack of domestic beer would likely rise about a dollar by the end of the month, just a few days before the Super Bowl. Retail tracking services say beer sales traditionally rise as much 15 percent in the two weeks before the game.

¶ 2:31 PM