"With craft beer, said contents are more flavorful, aromatic, enjoyable and as complex or simple as one would like," Simpson tells The Salt. "Craft beer is a no-brainer, for anyone who truly loves beer."

Though craft brews may still be the David to Bud's Goliath in terms of overall sales, the number of craft options continues to grow, adding diversity of flavor to the beer market, which is part of the appeal.

These days, there's a craft beer for practically every palate – and price range. For example, there's "Dave," the 19-year-old barleywine that sells for $2,000 in Portland. Some craft beers cater to the gluten-free crowd, while others emphasize their "taste of place" by incorporating local seeds, leaves, roots, fruits and fungi in their recipes.

Indeed, to stand out in an increasingly crowded field, many craft brewers are redefining the frontiers of beer flavor. Witness the rise of sour beers, which pump up the bacteria action to create a tart, crisp taste. And then there are beer-wine mashups that combine two of mankind's oldest beverages.

So who's winning the craft beer flavor wars? We'll get a better sense later this month, when the Brewers Association will release the list of the top-selling craft brewing companies in the country.

Copyright 2014 NPR.

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