Do you deeply appreciate the value that good craft beers contribute to our society? Hopefully you answered, “Heck yeah, doesn’t everyone?!” If not, we hope to change your perspective by the end of this article.

By definition, craft beer is beer that is made in a small, independent brewery (that produces less than 2 million barrels per year) with a little extra love and magic, instead of being produced in mass by one of the few mainstream beer producers that stock the grocery stores. According to the Brewers Association, there are 3,418 craft breweries across the country, and those 3,418 magic makers have created a market worth $19.6 billion. In fact, craft beer is becoming so popular that the market has more than doubled in the last two decades; in 1996, the U.S. only had a measly 1,149 craft beer producers to choose from.

So why is craft beer all the rage so suddenly? Here are the top five reasons good craft beers are sweeping the nation:

1. Craft beer gives you more bang for your buck
   The average alcohol by volume (ABV) content of a craft beer is 5% to 10%, but some of the most popular craft beers have an ABV as high as 40%! In contrast, beer produced in bulk by giant corporations who don’t put a little bit of love in each bottle give you a drink that has an ABV of 4% to 6%, and as little as 2%. That’s right, the beer that you get with the recognizable labels is more or less water with a little bit of beer on the side. In other words, you have to drink four or five non-craft cold ones to match the ABV you get from a single good craft beer.
2. Craft beer has superior taste
   Taste is one of the greatest benefits that good craft beers offer the 48% of adults who prefer beer for their alcohol consumption. While Budweiser and their competitors are focused on profit margins and Super Bowl commercials, American craft beer producers give a heck how their beer tastes. Not to mention, the 3,418 breweries that bring us American craft beers make thousands upon thousands of different flavor combinations. So there is a flavor to fit any taste preference; you aren’t forced into that one-size-fits-all flavor that mainstream beer companies give you.
3. Drink craft beer for the nutritional value. You read that right. Good craft beers actually contribute to your health (consumed in moderation, of course). Some of the health benefits of being a moderate beer drinker include:
   • Lower rates of cardiovascular disease.
   • Improved bone density due to the presence of bone-developing element, silicon.
   • Lower risk of joint issues, like arthritis.
   • Increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, which help lower cholesterol.
   • Lower instances of diabetes.

   Not to mention finding appreciation in the simple joys, including good craft beers, contributes to happier, more fulfilling life.

4. There’s a craft beer to match every season
   Almost 85% of craft beer drinkers choose their drink depending on the season or event they are in. Think of the mass hysteria that is initiated is soon as pumpkin spice latte is available at the coffee shops at the beginning of Autumn. Craft beer drinkers can get the same warm fuzzies of choosing a beer that matches the season or mood they’re in that coffee drinkers get by drinking the pumpkin spice latte on a beautiful fall day. In fact, there are craft beer bars that even have pumpkin spice latte beer.
5. The money that you spend at a craft beer pub stays local
   When you spend money on a mass-produced beer like Miller, Bud, and Coors, your money goes into pockets of executives and producers all over the world. Meanwhile, when you choose to buy good craft beers, in most cases, the hands that made that beer are in the very same area you are. Sometimes, your craft beer maker might be the guy standing on the other side of the bar who pours you your drink.

Are you a connoisseur of good craft beer? What draws you to the liquid gold produced by the little guy? What is your drink of choice when ordering a craft beer? Let’s continue our conversation in the comment section below.