Celebrate American Craft Beer Week

A quiet little revolution is happening in towns and cities -- and even rural areas -- all across America. People are learning that real beer tastes really good. And it's made by folks who live and work right in our communities -- neighbors who use a special blend of art and science to revive, recreate, reinvent and sometimes even put their own spin on traditional brewing techniques.

While sales last year of domestic industrial ("macro") brews went flat, the craft-beer market -- these small, artisan breweries that focus on flavorful, traditionally made beers -- grew a whopping 9 percent. That's no drop in the bucket in the competitive beverages industry, and it's heady news for craft beer fans, brewers and brewery owners.

The Brewers Association, a Colorado-based organization that keeps tabs on all things beer-related (rough job), announced recently that the popularity of craft breweries has grown so much in the past few years that there's a craft brewery within 10 miles of the average American.

"You won’t see splashy ads or hear endorsements from famous athletes about craft brewers," said Ray Daniels, director of Craft Beer Marketing for the Brewers Association. "But these local breweries have become part of the fabric of America."

To celebrate the artisan ales and lagers made by the more than 1,300 independent craft breweries in the United States, fans across the country celebrated American Craft Beer Week on May 15-21.

A Web site was set up to help fans find out what was going on during the big event-filled week. Here are some highlights from across the country:

• Otter Creek Brewing, in Middlebury, Vt., offered beer and cheese pairings, brewer presentations and special snacks with beer.
• The Cambridge House Brewpub, in Granby, Conn., gave away logo pint glasses with a beer purchase.
• Dunedin Brewery, in Dunedin, Fla., offered beer-infused food and vintage releases of seasonal brews.
• Firestone Walker Brewing Co., in Paso Robles, Calif., held a "Flip Night" where you flip a quarter and get a 25-cent pint if you call it right.
• The Avery Brewing Co., in Boulder, Colo., offered special "tasting room only" beers for fans to taste at the brewery.

You can a nearby brewery and find out what they have to offer at AmericanCraftBeerWeek.org.

With at least one brewery probably closer than your daily commute to work, what's stopping you from seeing what your neighbors are up to? Because innovation is part of the craft brewing culture, it's a pretty good bet you might stumble across something new.

Lisa Morrison was a recipient of the 2004 Beer Journalism Awards.