Hey it’s Wednesday and that means it’s Rumor Mill Time….Goose Island has huge Black Friday events planned and we’ll be bringing you everything we know so far. And there’s a special Smuttynose Open House going on in New Hampshire this Friday and a “one-day-only” release that you don’t want to miss at Lakefront. But that’s not all…we’ve also got a special Rumor Mill winter release you’ll want to chase down before the holidays. So fasten your seat belts everybody because….THIS WEEK’S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

Black Friday Goose Island Style (Chicago, IL) – For the past three years, Goose Island has been releasing their Bourbon County brands on Black Friday. It’s become a legendary event and they’re doing it again this year. In 2012 at the release event in Chicago, more than 400 people lined up for a chance to purchase Bourbon County Brand Stout and all its variations and they’ve even bigger plans this year! On Friday, November 29, the Chicago-based brewery will release select quantities of the fan-favorite stouts nationwide and hold special Bourbon County Brand Stout events in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Austin. “At last year’s Black Friday release event in Chicago, the beer sold out in just a few hours,” said Brett Porter, Brewmaster at Goose Island Beer Company. “We’re thrilled about this year’s release because we’re now able to bring one of our most coveted beers to more people than ever before.”

Black Friday, Lakefront Style (Milwaukee, WI) – For the third straight year, the Lakefront Brewery will celebrate the infamous start of the holiday shopping season with a very special “Black Friday” event, featuring a one-of-a-kind beer. The limited edition beer, Black Friday Imperial India-Style Black Ale, will be available only at the brewery and only for one day – if that. (It sold out in just 90 minutes last year – so you know what to do.)

Bells Will Bite the Big Apple (Kalamazoo, MI) – The seventh-largest craft brewer in the US, Bell’s Brewery, will enter the New York City market this February. They’ll be working Union Beer Distributors (a division of the Sheehan Group) and bringing all of Bell’s popular flagship brands (as well as their seasonal lineup) into the city, its boroughs, and into parts of Long Island.

Black Friday Smuttynose Open House (Portsmouth, NH) – The folks at the Smuttynose Brewing Company understand what a “buzz-kill” Black Friday mall-mania can be, so they’re throwing their first Black Friday Open House as an alternative.This Friday, November 29, they are opening the doors of their original/current brewery on Heritage Avenue in Portsmouth for beer samples, tours, hospitality, and retail detox. They’ll have some rare beer samples and case discounts on Scotch Ale, Barleywine, and Winter Ale, so you can get some of your holiday shopping done while you’re drinking!

A Rumor Mill Holiday Release You Want to Look Out For

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale is one of our favorite holiday ales ever and shouldn’t be overlooked. Unlike most cold weather seasonals, which tend to be thicker, spicier, and darker, Sierra Nevada’s “celebration of the winter season” is a true outlier – a great holiday IPA brewed using the first hops of the season. Not to be missed!