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Craft Beer Popularity Changing Beer Industry

BOSTON (CBS) - Thanksgiving dinner is usually enjoyed with cider or wine, but increasingly, another beverage might be found on the table.

Sales of craft beers continue to grow.

Scott Kvenild is a huge fan of craft beer.

"I brew my own beer. I am a home brewer and have been brewing for several years. I just love everything about craft beer, and just what they are able to do above and beyond the big mainstream breweries," he said.

Craft beer consultant Matt Simpson said, "What craft beer has done is expose the entire country to products that taste and smell wonderful."

The beer industry is changing as a result of this trend.

Overall beer production has gone down 2-percent, while craft beer production is up 17-percent explained Simpson.

Craft beer exports are up 49-percent over the last two years, while beer imports are down.

Across the country, new breweries, nano-breweries, and brew pubs are flourishing.

Aaron Rolka of the Craft Beer Brewery Tour Company said, "More bars open that cater to the love of craft beer, and a wide selection of it, so people are more exposed to it that much more these days, so when you get more exposure to it, you want to seek out more information on it."

There are now even college courses on brewing.

"Full blown programs where you can learn detailed science between fermentation and yeast and everything along those lines," said Rolka.

This isn't just a guy thing.

Rolka says his tours are split 50-50 between the sexes.

Young people are interested too.

"We will have people typically around their mid-20s, all the way up into their 50s."

Craft beer tends to be more expensive than standard beer because of the higher production costs associated with making it in smaller batches.

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