We live in and astounding age of marvels and wonders. I offer this as food for thought after your actual victuals are gobbled down this Thanksgiving Day.
We have phones that double as mini computers that can bring all the world's information to our fingertips in seconds. We have access to a virtual treasure trove of endless music at any given time. We never have to worry about a special moment being lost in history, as virtually everyone has a camera on them to document events. It's almost impossible to get lost because the same pocket computers have detailed maps and GPS to direct us on our soujourns.
So most of us have much to be thankful for, and some of the people with the most reasons to be grateful are craft beer aficionados.
When I started writing this column just shy of 14 years ago, there were about 1,500 craft breweries in the country. Considering there were only about 500 just a decade earlier, that was quite a jump. But the past decade has been even more amazing, as there are currently more than 5,200 breweries in the U.S., with many more in the planning stages.
Of course, quantity doesn't equal quality, so having this many breweries just means craft beer has become incredibly popular and remains so, despite predictions by some (ahem) that there would be a market correction in 2017. (Hey, I wasn't the only one saying that, and I'm glad I was wrong.)
But what the sheer volume
does
provide is choice and the ability to drink locally. According to some estimates, most Americans live no farther than 10 miles from a brewery. So the ability to have a wide selection usually will weed out any brewers who can't cut it. And any business model that helps sustain a local economy is a good one, in my book.
The other aspect of this beer renaissance is that brewers are coloring outside the lines more and more, pushing the art of brewing beyond the science of the craft. In addition, more brewers mean more collaborations, and if you go by the old "two heads are better than one" maxim, this translates into some great brews.
Of course, all this beer has to go somewhere, and to help with that problem, there are now more specialty "beer bars" than any time in history. It addition, most of your standard watering holes now have at least a decent selection of craft beer. And many of them have quite an array of wonderful offerings on tap.
All in all, beer lovers have a lot to be thankful for. So I hope you raise a glass this Thanksgiving and toast the sumptuous age in which we live -- and drink.
Happy Thanksgiving.