The Australian brewing company behind Carlton, VB and Pure Blonde has warned that the country could run out of beer in a few weeks if the government forces them to shut down.

Carlton & United Breweries has asked the Victorian Government to consider them an “essential service,” and allow them to continue to operate.

CUB has argued that Australians need some normality in times of turmoil, and that includes a coldie.

“You can’t turn major breweries off and then quickly turn them back on. After reopening, there could be three months of no beer for pubs and bottle shops,” a spokesperson for CUB told The Australian.

“The UK and other countries have kept retail and takeaway ­alcohol. We urge Australian governments to do the same.’’

Lion, the brewer behind Little Creatures and James Squire, confirmed that the taps could run dry if breweries were forced to close, not to mention, tens of thousands of jobs lost.

“Our breweries are 100 per cent able to operate under strict health and safety rules — we have been doing this for the past 10 days to support the government in the fight against COVID-19,” Lion’s managing director James Brindley said.

Other countries impacted by COVID-19, including the UK, EU and US, have allowed breweries to continue to trade.

Earlier today, the government announced that all non-essential services in NSW and VIC would be shut down within 48 hours. The government is expected to clarify tomorrow morning exactly which businesses they have deemed “essential” and “non-essential”.