(LATimes) - Who says beer is a man's drink? Beer has passed wine as the beverage of choice for women ages 18 to 34, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Julia Herz, craft beer program director for the Brewers Assn. trade group, said women in their 20s and 30s are in "the sweet spot" for craft beer consumption. They're the same quality-minded people who are buying artisanal cheeses and fair-trade coffees and who don't mind waiting for a bartender to shake a craft cocktail.

Craft beer is an affordable way to buy artisanal. The cost of a bottle of beer, usually less than a bottle of wine, affords aficionados a chance to sample several craft beer flavors for a "simple trade up in price compared to wine," Herz said.