Hey it’s Wednesday and that means it’s Rumor Mill Time….Coronado Brewing‘s got big plans for Portland. We’ll be bringing you everything we know so far. Plus we’ve got some news from Oskar Blues East Coast operation and an update on Dan Patrick‘s continuing “bromance.” We’ve also got a special new Rumor Mill winter release that you’ve got to chase down before it all disappears. So fasten your seat belts everybody because….THIS WEEK’S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

Winter Harvest Returns to the Big Apple (New York, NY) – Timing’s everything and the timing of the NYC Craft Beer Festival – Winter Harvest (one week before Thanksgiving) couldn’t be better. On Saturday, November 23, The Hand Crafted Tasting Company will be bringing legendary Winter Harvest fest to the Lexington Avenue Armory in Manhattan for two sessions, and a special afternoon session on Sunday, November 24. This year’s festival will showcase more than 150 winter seasonals and favorites from 75 of America’s best craft breweries. There will also be two craft beer seminars that sound fun. Jonathan Pogash, aka “The Cocktail Guru,” will lead an exploration on beer cocktails and Jared Rouben, from Chicago’s Moody Tongue Brewery will be on hand to share his thoughts on “culinary brewing.”

Oskar Blues Blowing Up in a Good Way! (Brevard, NC) – The Oskar Blues Brewery’s East Coast operation just keeps getting bigger and hey, we’re not complaining. With their production up 40% so far this year, they are set to add five 200 barrel tanks at their North Carolina compound later this month.

New Belgium Gets Fashionable (Fort Collins, CO & Ventura, CA) – Our friends in Fort Collins have fashioned a collaboration with an outdoor apparel company. New Belgium Brewing has announced that they’ll be collaborating with Patagonia Inc. on the limited-release California Route, an organic California common-style beer. “New Belgium has long admired Patagonia and it is an honor they thought of us for this collaboration,” said New Belgium’s Bryan Simpson. “We’ve exchanged ideas and best practices over the years and most recently collaborated on the Save the Colorado campaign. Having an organic beer to celebrate four decades of Patagonia’s good work is very gratifying.”

Redhook’s Bromance with Dan Patrick Continues (Woodinville, WA) – Redhook Brewery today announced it has renewed its endorsement agreement with sports broadcasting icon Dan Patrick through March 2015. The deal comes nearly one year after the successful launch of Audible Ale, a beer brewed in collaboration with Patrick and unveiled at Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans.

There’s Always Room For More Beer in Portlandia (Coronado, CA) – It takes no small amount of courage and conviction to bring your brand into a city that’s already home to more local breweries than anywhere else in the country. And in a move that doesn’t lack cajones, Coronado Brewing Company will be bringing their Southern California beers to the taps and shelves of Portland, Oregon this month. “Oregon is obviously an important state for us because of its proximity but mainly because of the amount of beer consumed per capita, and the discriminating beer palate of Oregonians,” said Brooks. “We are honored to be a part of Oregon’s craft beer community.” It’s scary how much these people can drink,” added Tom Bobak, Editor of AmericanCraftBeer.com. “You’d think they already had enough breweries to accommodate their daily needs, but clearly they feel they need more.”

A Rumor Mill Release You Want to Look Out For

We’re huge fans of Eugene, Oregon’s Ninkasi Brewing and enjoy just about everything they do – but they’ve just released a special winter beer that is absolutely one of our favorites. Ninkasi’s Sleigh’r is a 7.2% double dark Alt Ale brewed for cold nights and warm fires and we think it’s one of the year’s best holiday brews.