Craft Beer, just a Phase?

Ok, so maybe trying to keep up a blog while in the middle of track season, switching jobs, and making sure the evil dogs don't take over the house is just plain old hard. I will try my best to actually post, but again, as of now it's empty promises in your head. Anyways, let's get to the beer blog.

There has been a lot of talk that the Golden Age of craft brew has jumped shark, nuked the fridge, or is on its last legs. Though I might agree that the Golden Age as we know it can not sustain itself, craft beer will not just disappear, or even decline. Yes, I might be biased (okay, lots.) but craft beer is here to stay like a bad case of crabs . Here are my three of my reasons (and please feel free to comment)

Dogfish Head, the Legendary American Brewery

1. Quality: When I was a wee lad, my father, his friends, Hollywood, and most of Europe thought of American beer as swill. Budweiser, Miller, Coors, and their Light counterparts were the height of American Beer quality. Well, thanks to Boston Beer Company, Sierra Nevada, and Dogfish Head, American Beer can keep it's head high in the beer world. No longer do we have to hang our hats on one Blue Ribbon. If you look at Beer Advocates Top 250 we have plenty, if not most beers in the Top 250. Yes, Beer Advocate is slightly biased towards American Beers, but look this years past World Beer Cup results. All American, and damn it feels good. Which leads me to my next point.

A Little Old, but Some Interesting Numbers

2. Quantity: The above article can just be about the sheer quality of beer America has, but in reality, it's the amount of good beer there is. I'm not talking about the top 250, I'm not talking the top 500. Just the fact you can finally go into almost any beer, liquor, alcohol store and gets something that isn't an InBev POS. Look at your favorite beers from square one. For me, it was Coors Lite (American), then Michelob Amberbock (American), to Magic Hat #9 (American), to New Belgium Fat Tire (American), to finally Rochefort Trappist 8 (Belgium).

This was Once a Rarity to see, now it's my Tuesday!

3. Beer Culture: Myself, The Girlfriend, The Entire Great Trio are all mid-twenties. We go to craft beer bars as many times as a nun goes to church. A lot. And the demographic that walks in isn't just us; it's Black, White, Asian, French, Old, Young (21+ of course), Men and Women. And what we see is everyone loves good beer. Sure, when we are watching the Ravens trouncing on the Steelers we knock back swill light beers, but when we are having a nice dinner, wine isn't paired with the food, beer is. Or in The Girlfriends case, the food is paired with the beer. Beer, real beer, is here to stay.

Of course, you can argue my argument proves we are seeing the end of the Golden Age. But lately, Brew Pubs are taking hold. We might not see national craft beers like we used to, but local and regional beers are just taking hold.

Have a beer and have a Happy Easter!

Slainte