fbpx

10 Reasons to Love Craft Beer

10 Reasons to Love Craft Beer

6 of 11

Craft beer has been growing in popularity, and a striking number of companies pop up every year to add their own special brand of brew to the mix. The variety that craft beer encompasses is incredible, and it’s a nice break from your standard question: light or dark? If you’re into mixing it up a bit, and like a nice cold one, here are just a few of the many reasons you should invest in some craft options.

RumBarrel.com
RumBarrel.com

It’s delicious, duh.
I know, it’s shocking that the beer that isn’t mass-produced or more often bought in 30-rack quantities is better. But it is. It’s just…magic.

NotEnoughGood.com
NotEnoughGood.com

More alcohol!
While most beers usually carry between 4-6% alcohol by volume (ABV), craft beers fall in the 7-10% range more often than not. And don’t even get me started on light beers – what on earth is the point of buying 2.5% yeast-flavored water?

RestaurantSalesGroup.com
RestaurantSalesGroup.com

Fewer calories
Not that craft beer contains fewer calories than others (actually, the opposite is often true to a small extent), but think about the math: we’ve just established that craft beer has far more alcohol than your regular brew. Meaning, you’ll have to drink fewer crafties than you would have otherwise had you been slamming Bud Lite all night. Unless you can pound 10% beer all night and still remain upright, in which case: bravo.

DadsRoundTable.com
DadsRoundTable.com

It’s healthy…sort of
In the way that red wine has some health benefits, craft beer has been shown to contain a fair amount of nutrients. Soluble fiber, B vitamins, particularly folate, antioxidants, and a ton of silicon – which is primo for helping to prevent bone decay and osteoporosis – have all been found in craft beer, meaning you can justify away your bottle (or four) a day.

MacaDoodles.com
MacaDoodles.com

You can help support local business
The whole point of craft beer is that it’s produced on a smaller scale, with a higher regard for quality ingredients. Meaning that rather than buying your drinks from an enormous corporation, you instead support small, local microbreweries and the hard-working people that have dedicated their lives to quenching your thirst. Which leads to…

News.CNet.com
News.CNet.com

Two words: Brewery. Tour.
Since you’re smartly buying your beer from local sources, chances are their headquarters aren’t too far away. Meaning you get to pop in and see the brew masters in action and, most importantly, sample the wide variety of delightful batches they’ve come up with. A lot of breweries also have special brews that are only available in-house, and you’ll have the opportunity to try some truly bizarre but awesome options – bourbon and honey infused porter? Yes, please!

NYDailyNews.com
NYDailyNews.com

Seasonal options
Sometimes you need a few more options than just light or dark to suit the weather. If you make the move into crafts, you’ll have the option of pumpkin beers for autumn, chocolate porters to warm you up in the spring, and crisp shandy options for warm spring and summer days. Mixing it up has never tasted so good.

ShuckersMD.com
ShuckersMD.com

It’s a more impressive and less snooty knowledge base than knowing about wine
Maybe this is a personal opinion, but when somebody goes on and on about the floral notes and earthy aromas of a good wine, my eyes glaze over and I begin plotting what fake emergency would help me escape from the situation. But those that can tell you what flavors a beer contains, what food tastes good with what brew, and what you should be drinking on a hot summer’s day versus a cold wintry night, I’m much more impressed.

Blip.TV
Blip.TV

Beer people are good people
The craft beer community is a welcoming one, and you’ll be ushered in with open arms as craft-lovers eagerly share their knowledge of their hobby (and/or livelihood, depending) with you. Plus, the bonding process goes a lot smoother after a few 9-10% drinks.

Slate.com
Slate.com

Did I mention that it’s delicious?
What are you waiting for? Go buy a six-pack and get started!