Beer is alive and well.

I just read today's headline post at the Brookston Beer Bulletin. This is a must-read for anyone who really likes good beer.

Newspapers across the country delight in any opportunity to make themselves seem "upscale" in their feature pages. They do this in two ways: They build up something considered sophisticated (like wine) and they tear down something lowbrow (like beer). With the exception of Eric Asimov's work in the New York Times, When's the last time you've seen decent beer coverage in a daily newspaper? But every single fish wrap in the country has a soccer mom droning on about the wonders of merlot, or whatever the hell vino she saw in "Sideways."

Newspapers know that craft beer is gaining market share at the expense of the megabreweries, and it's percisely the sophistication of beer drinkers across the nation that is driving this. People are putting down the can of Schlitz and picking up a good IPA. Customers want something that tastes good, and they're beginning to vote with their wallets. It's incredibly encouraging for the craft beer industry, and points toward a much more positive outcome than the article dissected in the Beer Bulletin would suggest; a light lager at the end of the tunnel?

But you'll never read about that in your newspaper.