I've not had great experiences with craft beer in America although that experience has been limited to the 2 or 3 bars I frequent during my 2 trips to NY each year on business. The problem I think is that increasing the amount of hop or malt flavor in beer doesn't really work in lager because of the carbonation. Too often I find the craft lagers in NY to be overwhelming, almost like drinking a floral perfume of some kind. I do tend to stick to the traditional American lagers like Miller or Coors as they're excellent. As bitter is a flat drink it can handle the increased amount of hop/malt but that doesn't in any way mean it is 'better', just different. I feel sorry for people who can't appreciate both.
Don't listen to the dated beer snobs in England when it comes to lager. Bitter is a nice pint when it's good bitter, I've almost had to spit out a mouthful of bad bitter it was so awful. Can't say I've ever had to do that with lager. There's a reason that every country in the world other than England drinks lager almost exclusively.
Oh, and the number one lager by sales in the UK? That would be Budweiser.