At one point American beer was the envy of the world (yes it was even held in high esteem in Germany). Then came prohibition. The tastes of Americans changed and costs also became a major influence in the production.
The best thing Jimmy Carter ever did for America was repeal the federal restrictions on home brewing of beer. Now each American can brew up to 250 gallons of beer per year for personal use.
BTW; I am currently growing 2 strains of hops (Cascade and Hallertau) at my house and hope to have enough to flavor one batch this year.