Free Republic

NINE OUT OF 10 beers consumed in this country are the same dependable American-style lagers. But what about that 10th one? Increasingly, it's India Pale Ale, a style that resides defiantly at the opposite end of the flavor spectrum. Flowery, bitter and full of fruity aromas - it's astonishing that this edgy style thrives in a world of indistinct sameness. Yet, thrive it has. Today, it is almost certainly the No. 1 craft-brew style in America. At the annual Great American Beer Festival, IPAs have been the most popular judging entry in each of the past four years. I can't...

It was the Gallup Poll that shocked the drinking world -- and it has beermakers crying in their suds. For the first time in more than a decade of Gallup polling, just as many Americans ID'd wine as their drink of choice as beer. Actually, wine beat beer 39 percent to 36 percent, but the difference is within the Gallup Consumption Habits poll's margin of error, so the survey's authors are calling it a tie. Still, that's a huge change from what Gallup found in 1992, when 47 percent of Americans said beer was their favorite alcoholic drink, and only...

Now that summer is around the corner, it's time to hit the road! And to put you in the mood, I've put together a virtual tour of my 10 favorite cities on the planet for drinking beer. Without any further ado, here they are, in the obligatory David Letterman order: 10. Boston. - Where beer and history meet. Jim Koch gave craft brewing--and the city--a lift when he dusted off his great-great grandfather's beer recipe and brought out Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Boston is also the home of Harpoon Brewing, one of the East’s and best biggest micros; and Doyle’s...