This year's Craft Brewers Conference was an informative and wonderful event - rich with some 85+ seminars covering everything from technical brewing to Federal tax code compliance - and a trade show with 450+ exhibitors to explore. But the week's activities didn't stop at the Colorado Convention Center. Every evening, there were special craft beer events and parties spilling out into Denver's coolest bars and rock venues and they usually proved to be too much fun.

So many beers, So little time...Newbies is your essential map to the "best of the best" and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week. From The Coronado Brewing Company to the latest releases from Airways and Oskar Blues - we've all kinds of beers that you'll want to chase down.

Last week's CBC in Denver ended on Friday with the 2014 World Beer Cup awards and it was a total blast! The bi-annual competition which took place at the tail end of this year's Craft Brewers Conference was the biggest ever and served as a fitting ending to a week of beer, business and too much fun in the Mile High City...

I knew that Vermont was home to maple syrup, world-class ski slopes, Phish, and Von Trapp descendants. What I didn't know was that this unassuming state with the second smallest population also happens to be home to more breweries per capita than any other state (in 2011), including the holy grail of beers. Considered by many to be one of the best IPA's in the world, The Alchemist's Heady Topper turned what started as a casual weekend in Vermont into a quest for hops.

Hey it's Friday... Spring has sprung and you're ready for the fun. Well good, because we're all about it and we've got all kinds of ideas. From the nation's coolest beer festivals to movies, music, and cutting-edge TV and it's not too late to catch part of the 2014 CBC - we've got your back big-time. We've also a Weekend Beer Pick for you too, because we know you'll be drinking.

So welcome to our awesome Weekend Picks...

For people outside of Louisiana, there is a fascination with wild New Orleans nights, steamy swamps and alligators, boiled crawfish and gumbo, and down-home cajun music. However, many people don't realize that there is a vast diversity to Louisiana's culture based on where you happen to be in the state. In the case of Cajun culture, no other brewery captures the essence of the food and heritage like Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville, LA.

So many beers, So little time... Newbies is your essential map to the "best of the best" and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week. From Beachwood Brewing Citraholic IPA to the three new releases from Two Roads Brewing - we've all kinds of beers that you'll want to chase down.

So welcome to another edition of Newbies -Your ultimate guide to great new craft beers!

Hey it's Wednesday and that means its Rumor Mill Time ...and just about everyone who's anyone the craft beer industry is at this year's CBC in Denver. And as you can imagine there's all kinds of news, gossip and innuendo breaking in the Mile High City and well bringing you everything that's breaking.

So fasten your seat belts everybody because....THIS WEEK'S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

Back in ye olde 1994, around the time craft beer came into my life, I was enamored by the film 'Pulp Fiction' which planted in my head the concept of enjoying a beer while taking in a movie. For 16 years, this idea sat on a shelf in the back of my mind until I moved to Portland and found I could do just that at multiple independent film houses. Last Thursday, it was taken to a new level when Craig Noble premiered 'CRAFT,' his touring craft beer documentary which pairs his own Farmhouse Ale with a look at the history and growth of craft beer in North America.

So many beers, So little time...Newbies is your essential map to the "best of the best" and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week. From Flying Dog's Brewhouse Rarities Mint Chocolate Stout to the latest releases from Breakside andthe Ithaca Beer Company - we've all kinds of beers that you'll want to chase down.

So welcome to another edition of Newbies -Your ultimate guide to great new craft beers!

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. And with the Craft Brewers Conference taking place in Denver this week, there's more news than ever coming over the wire...

So here's some of what's happened in the world of craft beer while you were off enjoying yourselves.

Hey it's Friday... Spring has sprung and you're ready for the fun. Well good, because we're all about it and we've got all kinds of ideas. From the nation's coolest beer festivals to movies, music, and cutting-edge TV - we've got your back big-time. We've also a Weekend Beer Pick for you too, because we know you'll be drinking.

So welcome to our awesome Weekend Picks...

I first came across the Naukabout name last Fall while visiting my parents on Cape Cod.  I was in a village liquor store looking for something local and was drawn to a Pale Ale from the Naukabout Beer Company. Not only was its name clever and catchy...the beer was terrific. So I tracked down Peter Murner one of the co-owners of Naukabout Beer Company and was able to share a beer with him, learn some more about the brewery and get his take on the biz.

So many beers- So little time...Newbies is your essential map to the "best of the best" and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week. From Stone Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium to the latest releases from Stone and Elysian Brewing - we've all kinds of beers that you'll want to chase down.

So welcome to another edition of Newbies -Your ultimate guide to great new craft beers!  

Hey it's Wednesday and that means it's Rumor Mill Time...Atlas Brew Works has just agreed to play ball with the Washington Nationals and we'll be bringing you everything that we know so far. Plus we've an update from our friends at Flying Dog and some huge news from Tallgrass Brewing.

So fasten your seat belts everybody because....THIS WEEK'S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

The cask beer tradition has all the key ingredients for a Seattle obsession. Local. Small batch. Natural. High quality. With the real possibility that things could get a little weird. It's certainly right up my alley, and by the enthusiastic turnout at this year's Washington Cask Beer Festival, I'm clearly not alone.

So many beers, So little time...Newbies is your essential map to the "best of the best" and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week. From Brewery Ommegang's newest Game of Thrones Red Ale to the latest releases from Firestone Walker and Tröegs Brewing - we've all kinds of beers that you'll want to chase down.

We just received this communiqué from our friends at the Brewers Association (BA) with last year's craft beer sales and volume numbers... As always we appreciate their efforts in putting this together and thought you might enjoy seeing how your favorite brewery did last year.

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.

Did you know that the fermentation process of beer emits quite a bit of CO2? If you're a homebrewer or go on brewery tours often, you know that the bubbling air lock or the bucket next to the giant fermenter at a brewery is helping to manage the CO2 emissions. Breweries often try to exist as sustainably as possible - giving away spent grain to local farmers, heat-exchanging mash tun water, and even installing solar energy panels. But what about the CO2 emissions?

During the year, Portland is famous for it's craft beer mini festivals and it seems like there's another off-the-wall specialty to check out each weekend, easily making someone at the ready to beat back the beast that is alcoholism. This weekend? It's all about the Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival Saturday and Sunday at Saravzea Bottle Shop and Pasty Tavern.

Hey it's Friday... Spring has sprung and you're ready for some fun. Well good, because we're all about it and we've got all kinds of ideas. From the nation's coolest beer festivals to movies, music, and cutting-edge TV - we've got your back big-time. We've also a Weekend Beer Pick for you too, because we know you'll be drinking.

So welcome to our awesome Weekend Picks...

Last Saturday, Old World beer-serving technique met New World brewing creativity at Orange County's first-ever cask beer festival - FirkFest. The inaugural FirkFest took place in the heart of downtown Anaheim, one of the more flourishing cities for craft beer in Orange County.

So many beers, So little time...Newbies is your essential map to the "best of the best" and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week. From Stone Brewing's 2014 Imperial Russian Stout to the latest releases from Allagash and the Flying Dog Brewery - we've all kinds of beers that you'll want to chase down.

So welcome to another edition of Newbies -Your ultimate guide to great new craft beers! 

Hey it's Wednesday and that means it's Rumor Mill Time....The New York International Beer Competition just announced their 2014 winners and we've got the complete rundown on them for you! Plus we've an update from our friends at New Belgium and some San Francisco Giants news from Anchor Brewing.

So fasten your seat belts everybody because....THIS WEEK'S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

So many beers, So little time...Newbies is your essential map to the "best of the best" and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week. From New Belgium's bold herbal brew to the latest releases from Short's Brewing and Rock Art Brewing - we've all kinds of beers that you'll want to chase down.

So welcome to another edition of Newbies -Your ultimate guide to great new craft beers!

Our friends up in Boulder just sent us a communiqué that made our heads spin. They've just released the 2013 numbers on craft beer's growth abroad and since it was all pretty astounding we've included their release for you to check out.

Welcome to the next frontier everyone... because this trend is only in its infancy!

I have built towering beer-a-mids out of Natty Light empties. I have shotgunned Miller, somewhat successfully and on more than one occasion. I don't suck at flip cup. And while these juvenile beer-drinking experiences are (largely) behind me, I admit I'm not without sin. I have bro-ed.

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 off enjoying yourselves.

Hey it's Friday... Spring has sprung and you're ready for some fun. Well good, because we're all about it and we've got all kinds of ideas. From the nation's coolest beer festivals to movies, music and cutting edge TV - we've got your back big-time. We've also a Weekend Beer Pick for you too, because we know you'll be drinking.

So welcome to our awesome Weekend Picks...