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Why beer drinkers are turning to lighter, crisper craft brews

Brewers also like to drink those beers, so now they’re making more of them.

PORTLAND, Maine — When the craft beer industry got started in the U.S. four decades ago, most breweries produced ales.

“That was for a lot of reasons,” John Holl, editor of “All About Beer” magazine and host of the “Drink Beer, Think Beer” podcast, said. 

“One, the large breweries in the country—Budweiser, Pabst, Miller, Coors—were all making lagers. So ales were the way to go—porters, stouts, India pale ales, saisons, you name it.”

Those craft breweries have matured as businesses. Now, Holl said, “They’re looking at classic lagers and classic pilseners and saying, ‘Well, we like to drink those beers, so we should start to make those beers.’”

Since they usually have a lower alcohol content and a less assertive taste, lagers and pilseners are, in a word, drinkable. They’re light and crisp, and that’s why they’re popular, especially as the weather warms up.

When he joined us in the 207 studio, Holl brought with him a half dozen of these brews from Maine and talked about what makes them appealing. Watch our interview to find out more.

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