Three Cheers for Six Beers

Ever since I saw these in Asheville I've been meaning to get involved, today the dream was achieved.
Above is a sampler set that is available in many of the micro breweries in Portland (and I assume other parts of The States that take their beer seriously) - small sample glasses of six of their beers of your choosing.

A micro brewery is basically a small, locally owned place that brews its own beers to be sold to pubs, bars ans supermarkets in the lcal area (the bigger the brewery, the more far-reaching its distribution).
Of course we have these small breweries in The UK too, including the brilliant Storm Brewing Company in my home town of Macclesfield, but the thing I like over here is that rather than simply brewing and supplying beers, they are open to the public as a place to drink too.
The range and style can vary greatly, from fully fitted pubs selling top-notch food, right down to a simple warehouse brewery that's installed a bar and a couple of tables in any available floor space.
One thing always remains constant however, you are sat right by the vats and machinery that is brewing the very beer you're drinking. There is always planty of variety, and the beer is always fantastic!

Tomorrow we're doing it all again, but this time at a cider brewery.
As a big fan of the apple-based joy, I'm giddy with anticipation.