AP PHOTOS: 6 cities breweries helped transform

[Omaha Steve]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130704/DA7AUJRG3.html

By TALI ARBEL

In once rundown urban districts across the country, craft breweries have helped to transform the neighborhoods around them.

Small business owners tackled the hard work of transforming industrial buildings, many of which had sat empty as demographic changes pulled manufacturers and residents to the suburbs.


This combination photo shows, left, a 1986 photo provided by the Harpoon Brewery of the brewery under construction and right, patrons sampling a variety of beers at the Beer Hall on July 1, 2013 in Boston. Harpoon Brewery opened on the South Boston waterfront in 1986, when it was surrounded by auto body shops and little else. Now the brewery draws more than 85,000 people a year from tours and tastings, and thousands more from festivals. (AP Photo/Harpoon Brewery)


Small-time, independent brewers have been one of the beer market's growth drivers. The number of breweries in the U.S. catapulted from 92 in 1980 to 2,514 as of May 2013, according to craft beer trade group Brewers Association. Barrels shipped have more than doubled in the past decade, and craft beer now makes up nearly 7 percent of a U.S. beer market that is growing slowly overall, according to trade publication Beer Marketer's Insights.

As the breweries churned out beer, they drew visitors and eventually new, young residents - and more small businesses.

FULL story at link.

[malaise]

1. Thank Jimmy Carter

Happy 4th Omaha Steve

[Brother Buzz]

2. Thank you Jimmy Carter for returning our 'Barley Sandwiches"