The term microbrewery originally uprose in the United Kingdom during the late 1970s. Although it was in the beginning used to reflect on the size of the breweries, it step by step came to reflect another attitude and approach to adaptability, flexibility, experimentation, and customer service.The term finally spread to the United States, where it was eventually used to indicate a brewery that brings out no less than 15,000 barrels of beer annually. The term microbrewery is now falling out of touch in the United States, as the term craft brewer is favored.
During the early twentieth century, prohibition drove a majority of the breweries into bankruptcy as they could not rely on selling bogus wine as wineries of that era previously did. After undergoing numerous decades of consolidation of breweries, most commercial American beer produced by a couple of big companies, resulting in a mild tasting lager of which Budweiser is a great example.
Some beer drinkers will therefore crave a variety and address homebrewing and sooner or later start doing it on a much larger scale. When they want inspiration they will address Great Britain, Germany, and Belgium where centuries old tradition of artisan beer and cask ale production have never died.
The popularity behind these products was the fact that the trend was spread quickly, and hundreds of smaller breweries popped up, attached to a bar where the product could be enjoyed by all. As microbrews got ahead in popularity, some turned more than only simple microbrews, as they provided to a wider range of beer.
Normally, American microbreweries will sell through wholesalers in traditional three tier systems, then act as their own distributor and sell to retailers. Selling includes bars, restaurants, or even off premise sales.


With their varying flavour intensities and alcohol contents, microbrews are here because beer distributors found a market need and took a chance on imports like Corona in the seventies. This type of flavourful beer sold to a limited yet really enthusiastic crowd.