Iqaluit (May 08/06) - Just like the spring thaw, it happens every year. Iqaluit's bars are faced with a beer shortage. This year is no different.

For the last week - in the few bars that had beer - the choices were limited. You could choose Black or Blue. The only beer products left were Black Label and Labatt Blue.

In Iqaluit, the bars close once they run out of beer. The idea of a bar filled with people only drinking hard liquor has proven to be a nightmare.

"We closed at 11:30 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday). The only reason we were able to stay open that long was that we saved some from earlier in the week," said Frobisher Inn assistant general manager Glen Dagley.

Wednesday is wing night, the biggest night of the week at The Storehouse, the Inn's bar. "If we didn't have beer for wing night, what would we do?" asked Dagley.

To save beer for the chicken wing chow-down, the bar closed early on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, beer sales were cut off after the second period of the Edmonton vs. Detroit hockey game.

With the Nunavut Trade Show going on, thirsty delegates were out of luck.

"I know that some of them came in to get a nightcap and were not able to. We were already closed," said Dagley.

The Storehouse wasn't the only bar hurt. The Elks Club, The Legion and The Navigator Lounge all reported being out of beer at some point in the last week.

For the government of Nunavut, the finance department handles booze. Paul Suvega is the assistant deputy minister of finance.

"We have only been doing this for one year as an organization. We repatriated liquor in 2004 and didn't start servicing clients until February 2005," said Suvega.

To fix the problem, they have booked space on flights through Community and Government Services for the beer. Beer is a low priority, and may be bumped for food, freight and mail.

The days of "Black or Blue" are over for now. The Storehouse reports receiving Coors Light and Molson Canadian on its May 4 shipment.