Sadly, the world recession is starting to hit close to home, the brewery and the bar. Now is not the time to panic, but to act. Sure, we are cutting back on some of our “sin spending” like gambling and eating out, but we are not cutting back on our drinking. Sure, we are picking less expensive options over the premium imports and expensive microbrews. This is all fine, so long as we don’t cut down on our intake. In past columns, I’ve pointed out some good buys like Natural Light and Miller High Life, but there are more out there. Maybe now is finally the time for you to sample an old standard as a way to save. Who knows — you might find a diamond in the rough that will even save you money when times are better.

The other option, if you still have a little disposable income left, is to work on becoming a beacon of light. Support your local breweries. In my neighborhood, I recently picked up some of South Jersey’s finest beer, Flying Fish, and have rediscovered several nice offerings. Flying Fish’s Belgian Dubbel is a great beer that will pair with most any food; it's fruity with a nice head and pretty color. Flying Fish Pale Ale and IPA are also excellent choices. They’re a bit pricy, but as they say, you can’t take it with you.

As Americans we cannot just stop with the local. Think about the rest of the world. I recently read an article that said British beer sales fell a record 8.3 percent in the last quarter of 2008. Then I saw another article that mentioned the giant Belgian conglomerate InBev, which now owns Budweiser, is going to give up the King of Beers’ exclusive advertising rights for certain sporting events, leaving open a gaping hole of beer advertising on television. I find both of these developments appalling.

Maybe we Americans can help pick up England’s slack, just to be sure we don’t lose any of their great breweries. One of my favorites is Boddingtons Pub Ale — an easy-to-find ale that comes in a can. It has the DraughtFlow System, an “engineering marvel” that can that helps release millions of tiny bubbles so you get that hand-pulled creamy head from a can. Its creamy smooth taste stays on your tongue. It has a sweet and floral taste with a hint of citrus and a pleasant finish. Boddingtons is also owned by InBev, and was originally brewed in Manchester for 200 years. But InBev has since moved its brewing operations out of the city. What’s next? Will InBev will drop its sponsorship of the Welsh soccer club, Colwyn Bay F.C.?

China is having massive economic woes. They also happen to be our biggest creditor. So why not help out our friends during the Year of the Ox. Tsingtao is an easily accessible import. China’s largest brewery was founded in 1903 by German settlers and it was originally brewed in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot (“Purity Law”) of 1516, but eventually the recipe was changed. Now Tsingtao, like many other beers made in China, contains a proportion of less-expensive rice as an adjunct in the mash. It’s a decent, drinkable and light macro brew. It had no harsh aroma and a sweet taste with no after-bite.

Or how about Iceland? Iceland’s banks have collapsed, its government’s been dissolved and the once-very-expensive country has definitely fallen on hard times. I’ve tried two Icelandic beers, Viking and Thule. I have not found Viking or Thule in the U.S. and most reviewers gave them bad marks. But that is not how I remember them. I think there are two reasons for that. First, I was drinking them fresh from the tap while out during something the Icelanders call runtur. This is a drinking tradition every Friday and Saturday night, from about midnight to eight in the morning. Everyone travels from bar to bar, partying in the streets. By four in the morning you could have given me turpentine and it would have been great (in fact, an Icelandic liquor called brennivin, otherwise know as “Black Death,” might have actually been turpentine). The second reason goes hand-in-hand with the first: Beers are made for, and best enjoyed, in their own environment.

Beers get to stick around because the people of a place like them — whether it’s because they go with the food, or match the climate, or just match the general atmosphere. National Bohemian is a good example. Alone, ho hum. But get it in Baltimore with a plate of Bertha’s Mussels or some Old Bay-soaked crabs, and it is instant perfection. Boddington’s goes well with fish and chips. German beer goes great with sausage and pretzel. Maybe Viking well goes with rotten shark.

Or maybe climate comes into play. If it is cold, you want a hearty beer. But in warmer climates, you are looking for lighter drinking beers. Nicaragua’s Toña, for instance, works as a thirst quencher while you’re in relaxing on Lake Nicaragua. But I’ll bet if you brought it home, it would not be as satisfying. Also, keep in mind that you are on vacation while you are drinking Dos Equis or Modelo Especial in Cancun. Everything tastes better when you don’t have to work the next day.

That, of course, only applies if you do still have a job. Which gets me back to the recession, and my main point: Get out there; get us back on track. Visit your local pub, buy a few six packs. Or, if you’re one of the lucky ones, hop a plane to an exotic locale needing your tourist dollars and drink their beer. We all have to do our part.

Tyler Wilson drinks beer. Email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .