Celebrate Independence Day with these independent American craft lagers

For many people — myself included – Fourth of July means firing up the grill for a backyard cookout featuring hamburgers, hot dogs, apple pie for dessert and, of course, beer to wash it all down. For many years, the big, multinational breweries practically owned the holiday, because their light-bodied and low-calorie light lagers were arguably ideal for an outdoor gathering in July. Even when craft beer began appearing in the 1980s, most of the beer from small breweries were ales, which tend to be heavier and hoppier than most lagers.