C-J says: "Do yourself a favor" and "try a local brew."

For her second “The Drink” column since the Courier-Journal’s recent revamping* of its Louisville area food, dining and drinking coverage, Sarah Fritschner considers the local brewing scene:

Mo' better beer -- Do yourself a flavor: Try a local brew

I appreciate Sarah allowing me the opportunity to comment on Louisville’s microbrewing excellence, a point I never tire of making. While Nashville has as many breweries as Louisville, and perhaps more depending on the way you count them, I’d put Louisville ahead on style points and creativity.

Feel free to disagree.

Given Nashville’s clustering of admittedly good breweries, it’s also interesting to note Louisville’s location in the context of proximity to microbrewed beer. There are seven breweries in greater Indianapolis (including English and Belgian specialist spots), and two more in Bloomington, Indiana.

A north-to-south road trip from Indianapolis to Nashville, via Bloomington and Louisville, would result in the opportunity to sample the wares of at least 20 different breweries, and while the yield isn't as plentiful moving east or west, it's still a pleasing phenomenon worth noting.

When it comes to statistics that show a vast majority of Americans refraining from drinking craft beers, I see an increasingly secure niche for those of us that do, and unlimited growth potential for microbrewers.

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* See also Courier-Journal notes “passing of the fork” as restaurant critic Susan Reigler moves to travel writing.