I love the Back to the Future movies as much as the next guy. Watching the Cubs flirt with the possibility of a B2TF prophecy into the playoffs and a possible World Series victory added to the hype.

October 21st, 2015 was the year that Marty McFly supposedly arrived into the future. I remember watching in awe imagining what 2015 would look like. Sure, there aren’t any flying cars, hover boards, or self tying shoes in sight and sadly the Chicago Cubs’ World Series Championship will have to wait at least another year, but 2015 isn’t all bad.

At least craft beer loving folks can take solace in the fact that craft beer has taken huge steps forward in the last three decades. The U.S. has approximately 3,500 craft breweries open for business.

The Brewers Association claims the craft brew industry contributed $55.7 billion dollars to the U.S. Economy in 2014. The industry also employees more than 424,000 people. Those number do include merchandise and food sold at brewpub restaurants and brewery taprooms.

I’m now left wondering what the craft beer industry will look like in 2030. I’ll be enjoying a lot of great craft beer between now and then, so I’m in no rush, just a little curious.

-Peter Lopez Jr.