( CNN ) -- Beer 's devoted fanbase has been bubbling up ever since its invention in ancient Egypt . The elixir of water , malt , hops and yeast was even made illegal briefly in the U.S. during Prohibition . Today , that passion has come to a head in the form of a craft beer boom . According to the Brewers Association , a craft brewer is defined by being small ( six million barrels of beer or less ) , independent and using traditional ingredients in their beer . The craft beer movement continues to grow at a staggering pace . While overall beer sales dropped slightly , craft beer enjoyed 17.2 % growth last year . Despite that upswing , craft beer still only captures 7.8 % of the overall beer market , which still leaves plenty of room for industry growth . What to drink on National Drink Beer Day . New craft breweries are opening up all over the country , seeing a 15 % increase in 2013 . The Brewers Association says that most Americans now live within 10 miles of a craft brewer , so what better way to tap into this movement than by visiting your local craft brewery ? The beer can not get any fresher than directly from the taps at a brewery , and it 's a great way to connect with the people who make your favorites . And to top it off , many brewers offer exclusive or small batch beers , which do n't make their way into stores or bottles . `` We have seen the craft beer scene exploding in the south , '' says Justin Hall . He 's the owner of Southern Beer Tours , a craft beer touring company based in Atlanta . `` Three years ago there were maybe five breweries in the area , and now there are more than 18 , '' by Hall 's reckoning . Growth in the industry has inspired entrepreneurs like Hall to create business based on craft beer tourism . Hubs like San Diego , the Portlands ( both Maine and Oregon ) and Asheville , North Carolina , are leading the way as craft beer destinations . Cities like Atlanta are quickly following suit . `` Where this can go over the next 20 years is going to be huge as people 's palates change and more and more people begin to appreciate craft beer , '' says Hall . So whether you are heading around the corner to your local brewery or journeying to one of your favorite beer cities , raise a pint today in support of all things beer .
September 28 is National Drink Beer Day . The day was created by the American Beverage Association (ABA) in 1984 to celebrate beer and other alcoholic beverages as a healthy alternative for Americans. Whole overall beer sales were stale , craft beer sales grew 17.2 % last year .