More bad news out of Australia:

“There’s no doubt that much of the estimated winter crop is now lost due to the ongoing dry conditions,” Macdonald said Saturday.

“Wheat and barley are among those crops hardest hit — as a result we could see everything from bread to beer made in New South Wales cost a little more as Christmas approaches.”

Macdonald said the average glass, or schooner, of beer could rise by between 10 and 20 cents due to the shortage of barley. Despite this, beer would still taste the same, he said.

Emphasis added.