The Virtues of Cheap Beer and Faux Art

Everyone knows that they’re supposed to be adapting to a newly lean recession budget, but once you’ve nixed pedicures, Starbucks and the occasional taxi, you may start to feel a serious lack of luxury in your life. So, what are people still splurging on, even in the face of certain economic doom? Beer.

According to NPR, beer may not be all together recession proof, but it’s very recession resistant. Beer manufacturers and merchants are seeing good sales this quarter—NPR spoke with one pub owner in Austin, Texas who reported that sales were “up 10 percent in January.” After McDonald’s and Wal-Mart, beer companies may be some of the few that still see growth. And though the import market may be suffering a bit, microbreweries haven’t really felt the squeeze. Maybe an extra three dollars for a craft beer still counts as affordable luxury.

For more lessons on how to live a recessionary good life while still imbibing, look no further than Ernest Hemingway—he would suggest a strong appertif and a tour of some Cezannes on an empty stomach. At $20 a pop, MoMA is out of the question, but thanks to their new Atlantic-Pacific installation you can still enjoy a good reproduciton.