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...

Bend has soft water - the result of snow melt from the nearby Cascade mountains - so maybe the water is the reason why a city of 80,000 people has attracted so many important and distinctive craft breweries.

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 new Asheville collaboration to the latest releases from Ska, Hagar 24, 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!

There are a limited amount of craft beer lovers that get the chance to ditch their 9 to 5 to fulfill their dream of opening their own brewery.  Owner Roger Bott of LAB Brewing Company in Agoura Hills, CA not only was privileged enough to scratch this accomplishment off his bucket list, but he was also fortunate to use the skills gained from his previous employment to better his dream.  Roger worked for 14 years at mega-biopharmaceutical company Amgen which creates products that help people with serious illnesses. Roger continues to help people with his oh-so-rejuvenating elixir-like beers that have earned him his nickname, Dr. Hops, and have helped him Leave Amgen Behind (LAB). 

Hey it's Wednesday and that means it's Rumor Mill Time....Big Beer is shelling out Big Bucks in an effort to ensure that their politician friends understand what their directives are-we'll be bringing you absolutely everything we know so far! Plus we've an update from our friends at Green Flash and some time-sensitive news from the "bad boys" at BrewDog.

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 Great Divide's 20th Anniversary Belgian Ale to the latest releases from Stone Brewing and Saranac - 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!

If you live anywhere around the Mid-Atlantic and you care about beer - you already know who Greg Engert is. He's the face and the voice of craft beer in the nation's capital and a rising star nationally.  Greg recently agreed to let us interview him and we repaid his graciousness by asking him 5 STUPID QUESTIONS.

Our friends at the Brewers Association just released 2013's craft beer numbers and to the surprise of probably nobody who reads us regularly, last year was pretty impressive. Not only did the industry post record sales and volume levels - but craft beer's overall market share surpassed 7% for the first time ever!

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.

Over the last few years, Brandon Wright, owner of Chicago Brew Werks (CBW) in suburban Plainfield, Illinois, has been able to position his homebrew shop to meet and even exceed the needs of both in-store and online shoppers. While its selection of hops and malts is considered to be the best in the Midwest, the shop is shipping orders nationwide at a breakneck pace.

Hey it's Friday and work's been brutal and the weather not much better - so 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.

We at American Craft Beer have long been advocates of drinking as one way to a healthier life. While some see our non-stop commitment to consuming as much beer as possible wanton debauchery at best, we see it as research. And it seems like almost weekly, there are reports coming out that validate our endeavors.

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 Ommegang's newest Game of Thrones ale to the latest releases from SweetWater and Dominion 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....SAVOR returns to the Capital City and tickets are going on sale soon-we'll be bringing you absolutely everything we know so far! Stone Brewing honors a friend and MillerCoors hires a Breaking Bad enforcer to give its new Hard Cider line some cojones. Plus we've yet another Russian River update for you.

A recent study published in one of our favorite science journals, Cell Metabolism, has discovered a molecule found in beer (and milk) that might actually help fight weight gain. The study's research showed that the molecule,nicotinamide riboside, may have helped mice gain less weight when they were fed a high-fat diet. The molecule also seems to play a part in increasing endurance in mice.

While attending a craft beer festival over the weekend, we were struck by the obvious - everyone's brewing Session IPAs nowadays. These full-flavored, low-alcohol hop-bombs were on full display and if the massive crowds that lined up to try them are any indication - people are increasingly all about them.

What happened at the 2014 Hunahpu's Day was about as bad as it gets - but no one could have foreseen the rampant duplication of tickets - and no one feels more badly about it than Cigar City's Joey Redner.

After a brief sojourn up in New York City last year, SAVOR will be returning to the city where it all started - Washington, DC - on May 9th and 10th. This one-of-a-kind "American Craft Beer & Food Experience" is one of the nation's premier craft beer events  - and you do not want to miss it! 

Our friends at the Brewers Association just sent us a media alert with everything you need to know for now. Please note the online ticket sale dates and times. And be forewarned - If you snooze, you lose! SAVOR is an extremely hot ticket in DC and this event will sell out quickly.

With New Belgium and Sierra Nevada well into the process of building large-scale East Coast breweries, and with Oskar Blues having already opened their new North Carolina operation, it's not surprising to learn that the nation's 10^th largest craft brewer is looking eastward as well.

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.

Hey it's Friday and work's been brutal and the weather not much better -so 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.

If you're tiring of our regular Newbies columns and you want us to stop running it several times a week, then we've a suggestion for the industry. STOP RELEASING SO MANY INTERESTING BEERS FOR US TO COVER! But you won't do that... right? So we won't either!

Just a stone's throw away from the ocean, in one of Florida's most naturally serene beach towns, you will find the Tomoka Brewery. Owned and operated by husband and wife team Peter Szungyogh and Jennifer Hawkins, Tomoka has actually been open since last summer, pouring some of the best locally brewed beers from breweries across the state, including some great collaborations - and we would be remiss if we didn't mention the top-notch gourmet pizzas and other fare that are worth a visit alone.

But on February 22, it was time to take their taps back with an official grand opening that was totally worth the wait! 

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's Go To IPA to the latest release from Firestone Walker and Starr Hill - we've got all kinds of new releases you're going to 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....America's homebrewers will be flooding into Beer City this summer -we'll be bringing you absolutely everything we know so far! Plus we've some more good news from our friends at Founders and a Rumor Mill Beer Pick that you'll want to chase down.

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

How long can the craft beer industry really sustain all of this intense growth? We asked six craft beer professionals if they thought the industry could sustain its current rate of growth - and were intrigued by what they all thought.

So many beers, So little time...From special collaborations and craft beer one-offs to exciting new fall and winter seasonals, Newbies is your essential map to the "best of the best" and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week ...

So welcome to another edition of Newbies - your guide to great new craft beer releases!

There are few businesses out there as dynamic as today's craft beer industry. And in a further effort to evolve with craft beer's fast-changing landscape, the Board of Directors for the Brewer Association (BA) have introduced strategic changes to better reflect its diverse membership and to reposition its mission for the future. We found the fine-tuning of their mission statement fascinating and worthy (they even revisited the definition of a craft brewer!) - so we've included their entire press release for you to check out.

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.