Beer drinkers in London and New York City may be separated by a frothy ocean, but, as photographers Mario Tama and Luke MacGregor saw for themselves over the past few days, they increasingly share a taste for cask ales produced by small, independent brewers.
During the pre-Prohibition era, Brooklyn (a New York City borough) had more than 45 breweries and was one of the largest brewing centers in the U.S., Getty Images reports, but today Brooklyn Brewery is the only brewery in the borough.
The tide is turning, though. A mid-year report by the Brewer's Association cited a 12 percent increase in craft beer sales to 6 million barrels this year. The number of American breweries has surged to a 125-year-high of 2,126 breweries last year, 97 percent of which are independent craft breweries.
In Britain, meanwhile, microbreweries have seen their numbers rise above 1,000 for the first time in over 70 years, Reuters reports, even as Britons' affection for their national drink has waned. The Kernel microbrewery in Bermondsey, South London is one of many new kids on the British beer block.
"People are moving away from the mainstream rubbish," Andrew Turner of the recently opened London Fields brewery said. "They want to drink good local stuff."
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