For Anthony Martuscello, owner and founder of five-year-old WestFax Brewing Company, the pandemic had already caused a major blow to business. Built around the in-house taproom experience, the majority of WestFax’s business came from on-premise drinking. When the novel coronavirus hit, the team had to completely alter their business model. “No one is ready to switch 100 percent of their product to packaged materials,” Martuscello says. They began by upgrading from manual canning machines to an automated, professional set-up from Louisville-based Wild Goose Filling. But an immediate shortage of crowlers and cans from local suppliers caused a hiccup; the team was able to catch up to demand after a month or so. By the time summer arrived, Westfax began feeling the shortage again—although this time, even larger manufacturers like Ball felt the strain of an increased nationwide demand for cans. With larger manufacturers prioritizing bigger beverage brands, Martuscello was forced to seek out suppliers across the country, eventually securing a connection in Pennsylvania.