Beer is back where it belongs: In church.

A good local pub has much in common with a church, except that a pub is warmer, and there's more conversation. -- William Blake (1757-1827)

I can hear the anguished wailing of the prohibitionists; how dare alcohol be mixed with the only true religion -- except, of course, there is no true religion. As an atheist without an anthropology background, it's nonetheless plausible for me to suggest that combining religion with hallucinogens and intoxicants has the been the norm in human history far longer than bizarre notions of abstinence. Without them, does any of it even make sense?

To Stave Off Decline, Churches Attract New Members With Beer, by John Burnett (NPR)

With mainline religious congregations dwindling across America, a scattering of churches is trying to attract new members by creating a different sort of Christian community. They are gathering around craft beer.

Some church groups are brewing it themselves, while others are bring the Holy Mysteries to a taproom. The result is not sloshed congregants; rather, it's an exploratory approach to do church differently.