In the 1970s and ’80s, the brewing industry shifted was from large corporate suppliers to smaller, independent “microbrewers,” typified by producers such as the Boston Beer Company and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Today, the market is going even smaller—with tiny, independent brewers setting up shop in neighborhood brew houses nationwide, focusing on crafting unique, flavorful brews specifically for their extremely local clientele.

The reality is that beer is in the midst of a renaissance in this country, driven by a new class of these dedicated craft “nanobrewers” and growing communities of drinkers looking for something more from their daily brew—something higher-quality, more unique, more local.

These microbrewers rent out small spaces or buy industrial equipment to install in their garages. They’re accountants, middle-school teachers, and plumbers who are passionate about beer and who dedicate their free time to producing three or so barrels of their own brew at a time. They sell their bottles to close friends and gift it to family members for birthdays and holidays. They enjoy what they do and they’re proud of their product.

What’s it like inside these small-time brewing operations? What happens behind the scenes? What goes into making high-end craft beer on a small scale? True Beer takes an on-the-ground look at the ultra-small side of the craft brewing movement from the inside out by profiling a number of independent American breweries in detail and using that as a jumping-off point to examine the art and science of brewing, the local farmers and providers behind the scenes, the market itself as well as national trends in nanobrewing, and modern craft beer production.