LONDON (AP) — There must be a powerful thirst in Britain.
The Campaign for Real Ale said Thursday that on average three new breweries have opened every week in the United Kingdom in the past 12 months, pushing the total to 1,009, the highest number in more than 70 years and twice as many as a decade ago.
CAMRA says 24 breweries closed in the same period.
Lager produced by multinational companies accounts for about 70 percent of the market by value, according market analysts Key Note. That leaves the small brewers to carve up most of the rest.
Roger Protz, editor of CAMRA's "Good Beer Guide," says the boom has, in many cases, made the term "microbreweries" obsolete, as some independent brewers are now very large concerns.
