As the summer sun starts to heat up the country, Americans have many ways to quench their thirst, from sodas to designer waters. A visit to the ballpark often doesn’t seem the same without a hot dog and a cold beer. While per capita sales of beer have fallen 12% from 20091 levels, the number of craft breweries has exploded. Just as consumer tastes for artisan breads and locally sourced dairy products is creating a boon for local farmers markets, a taste for locally made brew is boosting communities. Microbreweries In Smaller Communities Breweries aren’t just products of the Pacific Northwest; they have quite a history in secondary and tertiary markets across the country, which continues to this day. During the 1980s small breweries popped up in Iowa, Arkansas, Oregon and Virginia. It wasn’t until 1990 that Sierra Nevada Brewery, the first craft brewer, moved into the big leagues. Today, cities like Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, which has the most breweries psf2 of any city in the country, are bringing bragging rights to secondary metropolitan areas.