fine craft beer

According to the Brewer's Association, 1 in ten beer drinkers drink "craft beer" while the Distilled Spirits Council says nearly 1/2 of all alcohol consumed is beer.

ONE-THOUSAND of today's U.S. Breweries are Brewpubs while small and independent brewers are up 1.3 million barrels in 2011, and trending up in 2012.

We see new craft breweries opening regularly and we see expansion underway for so many breweries.

As of April 30, there were 2000 Small craft breweries with another 1184 in planning stages.

There is even a struggle about what is a craft brew. Is Sam Adams Boston Lager a craft brew today? Well, let's see. It came from a homebrewer who started out brewing on his kitchen stove just like Nathan and I did (and so many who read this site). The brewers have true passion for beer. Yet, it is the flagship of the largest American Owned brewery in the U.S. Maybe THAT beer is not craft. But is "Thirteenth Hour" Belgian Stout from Boston Brewers a craft beer? I certainly think so. This wonderful roasty beer with Belgian Yeast is brewed artfully in small batches.

Here's to craft beer. Cheers to all of our local, regional, and even national craft brewers!

Greg Kitz
Thanks to Julia Herz of the Brewer's Association for some of the statistics.