Map Reasserts Northern California's Craft Beer Superiority

From the always-thinking (always drinking?) folks at the New Yorker comes a handy new interactive map thing about beer. Craft beer specifically. Because this country is nothing if not a nation of people who appreciate a finely crafted alcoholic beverage. And, boy, what a beer-drinking country. A few salient points:

• Altogether California has 316 craft breweries from San Diego up to Eureka and everywhere in between.
• The ubiquitous Sierra Nevada is the second largest craft brewery in the country, after Sam Adams/the Boston Beer Company.
• Lagunitas, from Petaluma, is now the sixth largest brewery in the country.
• Northern California basically invented craft beer with sudsy pioneers like New Albion and Anchor. (But you already knew that.)
• In addition to some notable suds, Northern California's up-and-coming breweries are catching on quick: Lagunitas, Speakeasy, Drakes and 21st Amendment all made the top 50 fastest growing breweries based on how many barrels they're putting out year over year.

And now we're thirsty again.