I don't get why beer is so popular

I don't get beer. Simple as that. I understand very clearly why I don't like most popular things, like 80 percent of current tv and all the popular music in this musical dark ages -- those things simply suck, but beer seems reasonably cool. Lots of interesting people drink it. I'm not sure if it is the cheap price, the drawn out ritual of the suds or the harshness and intensity of hard alcohol as the second option, but lots of people love the stuff. Many try to be friendly and offer me one, and I feel like a dillhole saying "no thanks" all the time simply because I hate the taste. I have nothing against drinking, especially if it's a margarita, mojito, sangria or Seagrams seven and seven, I'm not being critical of beer folks at all, but I'm curious to hear from you beer devotees, what is the attraction for you?