Tribune Looks into Craft Beer

The Chicago Tribune ran an article about the explosiveness of craft beer. There really isn't much detail or anything new. It's mostly a reaction against Goose Island and how people are starting to wake up to craft beer, especially in Chicago. It also does highlight how close to the edge these brewers are and how difficult it is for them to keep up with demand, and demand is booming. I walked past Half Acre today, and there was a half-block long line for the tour.

It's interesting to see how craft beer is taking off. Let's not kid ourselves, macro beer is still king, especially in places outside of metropolitan areas. Perhaps it's a movement toward more taste. I think for a lot of people choosing craft beer is a way to buck the major corporations that tend to run our lives. If we can't avoid using big banks or slaving away to some faceless corporation, perhaps through what we drink we can support regular people who have dreams of opening a brewery. It's also something that is maybe every beer drinker's dream: that long talked of goal of opening a bar or brewery. Maybe we live through these people by drinking their beer.

With the selling out of Goose Island, it'll be interesting to see how many of these brewers stay independent and how many sell out to a larger organization. I'll be watching the events unfold as I hoist a Half Acre.