I'm often asked about the state of American craft beer and its ability to sustain growth through hard times.

I believe the industry's growth is so strong because a great many people are returning to higher quality and bigger flavor. But I'll add this, with thanks to comedian Mike Myers: I don't believe all beers should be based on a dare.

Referring to haggis, blood pudding and other culinary delights from our dear Scottish friends, Myers once quipped that most Scottish cuisine was based on a dare.

Sometimes, I think the state of craft brewing is the same. Many brewers have entered into an arms race to see who can be the hoppiest or who can have the most alcohol.

Now, I realize a small portion of the public enjoys a bit of haggis, but what we see too often are the brewing equivalents of haggis foisted upon people who then fawn over such offerings as the next great thing. What most people really want is a beer they can drink - and maybe even keep on drinking.

It's odd to have to say such things, that smaller beer can often be better beer. But with the advent of beer-grading websites like Beeradvocate.com and Ratebeer.com, this is an increasingly hard stance to take without getting shouted down. By and large, these sites do a great job of stirring interest in craft beer and promoting the industry, but in the eyes of a lot of the "advocates" that frequent these sites, your beer is safe and boring if it isn't breaking bitterness records or sour enough to remove tooth enamel.

Don't believe me?

Take a look at the top 10 beers listed on these sites.

I get it: There's something about the extreme that holds our attention. But what these people are missing in their zealous attitudes toward pushing the beer envelope are the giants upon which these extreme beers stand. That is, the classics: balanced pale ales, full bodied but low-alcohol brown ales, and the simple complexity of a well-made kolsch.

Truth be told, a little flirting with the extreme is OK with me. These beers get all the press, and they stir interest in craft brewing. Heck, the last three medals we won were for two massive barleywines and a smoked imperial porter.

Brewing is a big tent, though, and it's the fans of only the extreme that need to see that. We'll watch Food Network or Travel Channel and gawk at the goat bladder or the boa testes that Andrew Zimmern chokes down and, in the end, while it's noteworthy, it's not food.

You're not going to see Bobby Flay or Paula Deen trying their hand at those dishes because they know what works: tasty, comforting food.

It's the good stuff that brings us back to the table, not just for the food itself, but because it brings others to the table, as well. Beer is the same. It's a social drink and it brings us together - not to talk about it, but to talk with each other.

So, by all means, take these brewing excursions into the unknown, but don't forget about the small beers, the mild beers, the ones that reassure us that bigger isn't always better.

Andy Ingram is owner and brewmaster of Tempe's Four Peaks Brewery. Reach him at andy@fourpeaks.com. Follow him on Twitter (@fourpeaksbrew) or Facebook.