Of course, I am talking about the good stuff, not the fizzy, alcohol-infused water created by the American, Brazilian and Belgian mega beer companies to drown the world’s sorrows (or whatever).

I am talking about carefully and lovingly brewed beers and ales that literally have created a new golden age for beer enthusiasts.

Now, why am I writing about my love of fine beer in a marketing/culture/web-related blog? First, because it’s a subject I am increasingly fascinated by. Secondly, because the emerging interest in and enjoyment of really good beer and ales has become another interesting global marketing and cultural trend that is worth following (and celebrating).

Here in the US the rise of craft breweries, small batch ale makers and brew pubs run by true beer aficionados, is truly remarkable. I was in NY City recently and happened on the Blind Tiger Ale House in the Village. It is an absolute find! They have 30 or so craft brews on tap, representing great local breweries from Brooklyn to superb Belgium beers and ales. The patrons of the Blind Tiger treat that place as if they were worshiping in the Cathedral of Chartres! From a beer standpoint, they just as well might be!

Speaking of Belgian brews, this is an amazing beer and ale tradition that is really taking hold in the US. In Silicon Valley where I live, we have a place called The Refuge in San Carlos, which has 15 or so superb Belgian brews on tap, another ten in bottles and a terrific small wine selection, to boot. They also have the best home cured pastrami sandwiches outside of Katz’s in NY City. And that is saying a lot. To demonstrate how popular this beer culture is becoming, the Refuge is packed every night of the week, despite the service being lackluster and the prices pretty high. It is that good!

But, the global golden age of brewing has not hit every locale, unfortunately. I was reminded of this recently when I was in Calgary, AB for some client meetings. I naturally thought I would find some great Canadian beer and ales in that sparkling cowboy/oil industry city, but was sorely disappointed. In fact, in all my recent trips to Canada (Vancouver and Edmonton, too), I only found one good place for beer: The Steamhouse Brewery, a terrific brew pub in Vancouver’s Gastown area. The majority of Canadian beer is boring, tasteless and just flat. If you order an IPA in Canada, it looks and tastes like Bud that is a little bit sharper. In other words, pretty bad. I am sure I will hear from my Canadian friends. I look forward to your tips on finding a really good Canadian beer. Sadly, they seem to be few and far between.

There are cities throughout the United States that have become meccas for beer enthusiasts (like me). Portland, Oregon is a great example. But so is Portland, Maine. Austin, Texas is not just wonderful for live music, but they also have a terrific beer culture. San Diego (of all places), has become a must-visit center of craft brewing (try anything by Stone, particularly the Stone IPA). And, the Northern California wine country has now become a big beer destination as well.

The craft brewing trend parallels that with the small batch distilling revolution that is also cropping up in the US and around the world. These are very positive marketing and cultural movements. While the massive, mass produced products are still out there, with their bland and forgettable properties (and horrible, numbing advertising), true believers are crafting beers, spirits, tools, clothing, cars, you name it, that have the quality and personality that you will never get from the mass brands.

And, that is a marketing/cultural/social phenomenon worth celebrating on a Wednesday in December.

Try a craft-brewed, truly hoppy IPA today. You will thank me for it. Cheers!

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