So, what will it be on a hot summer's day? A  Budweiser or a Domaine DuPage?

If you selected Domaine DuPage, you're one of a growing number of Americans who are switching to a beer for the more "refined palette", choosing a craft beer or microbrew instead of the low cost, mass-produced beer. 

Overall, beer consumption is declining in developed countries, like the United States. Anheuser Busch reported its total volumes dropped 2.5% in America and Western Europe in the last year. Smaller companies, like Duvel of Belgium, on the other hand, expanded sales in Belgium by 24%, the Netherlands by 17% and in France by 10%. Duvel CEO Daniel Krug puts it this way, "We want to appeal to people who are drinking ordinary beer and want to drink something a bit better." Boston Beer Co, which brews Sam Adams, has been a model for Duvel. Both share a similar formula: high prices, tasty beers, creative marketing and an emphasis on mature customers. Companies like Anheuser Busch are now looking to Asia, Russia and Latin America for their growth. 

In the U.S. much smaller brewers, know as craft brewers, are having great success. An American craft brewer is a small, independent and traditional brewer.According to the Brewers Association, craft brewers accounted for 4.9% of all beer sales in the U.S. in 2010 by volume and 7.6% in dollars.There was 11% growth in the industry in 2010. Craft brewers currently provide 100,000 jobs in the U.S.

The craft beer industry is defined by four distinct markets: brewpubs, microbreweries, regional craft breweries and contract brewing companies. Microbrewers produce less than 15,000 barrels of beer each year (there's about 31 gallons in every barrel) with 75% of its beer sold offsite. A brewpub is a restaurant-brewery that sells 25% of more of its beer on site. A contract brewing company hires another company to produce its beer while handling the marketing, sales and distribution itself.A regional craft brewery is an independent regional brewery that has either an all malt flagship or at least 50% of its volume in all malts or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor.

In 30 years, craft breweries have grown from less than 100 nationwide to 1,759 at the end of 2010.Small local breweries are not a new idea. Before the days of refrigeration, most towns and villages had a brewery, as beer could not be transported before it went bad.After refrigerated transport became possible, most local brewers were closed down in favor of the larger more consistent brewers such as Anheuser Busch and Miller. During the years of prohibition, all beer was home brewed. It was at this time that the microbrewery was reborn.

Taste, body and overall flavor of microbrewed beer certainly exceeds that of the major brands. The majority of microbrewers produce ales and lagers,generally more robust than regular beer. Microbrewers claim that once a customer drinks craft beer, they never want to return to the bland, pale peer that comes in a can.

Two great microbreweries in the Chicagoland area are the Three Floyds Brewing Company in Munster, Indiana and the Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois. The Three Floyd's first brew house was an old 5 barrel kettle fired by a wok burner with an old open Swiss cheese tank for fermentation. Today, Three Floyds is still considered a very small brewery even by micro brewery standards. Yet, its limited production from its 35 barrel brewhouse is in such demand, that it is all distributed locally. They describe their flagship beer, Alpha King, as big American pale ale that pours deep amber with a creamy head."

The Two Brothers Brewery started in Warrenville much like Three Floyds.Jim and Jason Ebel opened for business in 1996.They had spent time as ex-pats in Europe and learned the diversity and culture of European beers. Upon returning to the States and with virtually no opportunity to drink craft beers, they decided to begin homebrewing to replicate the beer styles they had come to love. Their first brewhouse included a 15 barrel kettle and milk tanks, donated by their grandfather, that were converted to fermenters. Today they have a 50 barrel brewing system and a new 40,000 square foot facility. One of their top sellers is Domaine DuPage, "inspired by the brothers' time in France, this food-friendly ale is deep amber in color, with a toasty and sweet caramel start. Bon Appétit.