We blame the industry for this… It used to be that when we wrapped up our Weekend Picks on Friday, we could coast through the weekend. There was little need to check in for updates – things were pretty much done. But clearly all that’s changed. So here’s some of what’s happened in the world of craft beer while you were enjoying yourselves.

Firestone Walker Does it Again! (Paso Robles, CA) – Brewmaster Matt “Merlin” Brynildson and his brewing crew at Firestone Walker Brewing Company just did it again over the weekend at the GABF, earning “Mid-Size Brewing Company and Brewer of The Year” honors for the fourth time (2003, 2007 2011, and now 2013) over the past ten years. This follows up their second straight “top honors” win at the European Beer Star Competition three weeks ago in Munich and last year’s World Beer Cup Champion Brewery and Brewmaster award! Congratulations to Adam Firestone, David Walker, and all our friends in Paso Robles – you guys are on a roll!

ACB Correspondents Sample Every Beer at the GABF (Denver, CO) – Word spread like wildfire at Saturday night’s final GABF session that American Craft Beer representative’s Juliana Casale and Mark Slattery might have actually made good on their pledge to sample every beer at this year’s festival. “When they first approached me with their plans, I made it clear that I didn’t think it was possible,” said Tom Bobak, the Editor-In-Chief of American Craft Beer, “but they’re both incredibly determined individuals. Mark and Juliana took this challenge on seriously and they’ve been in training for months. They never doubted that they could sample every beer at this year’s festival – and from what I’m hearing, they did that and more!”

More Judges Than Ever at This Year’s GABF (Denver, CO) – Last weekend’s GABF Competition had the largest panel of judges ever – 201 beer experts from 11 countries evaluated 4,809 entries, with assistance from more than 130 competition volunteers. Now in its 27^th year, 2013’s competition awarded 252 medals to some of the nation’s best breweries and we’re excited for all who won.

Heavy Seas Weathers Government Shutdown (Baltimore, MD) – It’s no longer smooth sailing for Heavy Seas Beer and it’s all due to the government shutdown. The Baltimore Sun is reporting that “the shutdown’s timing has postponed the implementation of a new $3 million piece of equipment that packages and labels the beer” and “the new machine requires a different size label, and all new labels must be approved by the federal bureau.”

Shutdown Impacts Two Brothers (Warrenville, IL) – The government shutdown may be putting a chill on Two Brothers Brewing’s forthcoming seasonal release. The Sun-Times is reporting that the shutdowncould “keep Two Brothers first-ever holiday beer from hitting stores and restaurants alike this season,” and that the “yet-unnamed chocolate coconut beer has not been approved by the agency.”

More Label Approval Blues at Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY) – Our friends at Brooklyn Brewery are singing the shutdown blues as well. Delayed label approvals are creating a domino effect of problems for the brewery. USA Today quotes Carla Villa, a spokeswoman for the New York-based Brooklyn Brewery, on the label delays: “It’s this one thing that then affects all these other things. We can’t launch beers on time, which means our distributors can’t sell it, which means our customers can’t buy it.”