Hey it’s Wednesday and it’s Rumor Mill Time…If you think that the industry has checked out for the holidays – you need to think again – because there are all kinds of big changes coming down the pike. We’ll have more on that, as well as other things breaking right now in the world of craft beer. Plus we’ve an all-important update on what we’ve been drinking lately.

More Craft Beer Predictions for 2015 (Everywhere, USA) – As we gaze into our crystal ball, we see gathering clouds at craft beer retail in the coming year – and  predict that the battle for retail shelf space, particularly cold space, is going to heat up considerably. Beer stores will continue to do their best to accommodate a deluge of new beer titles on the warm shelf (move over wine), but refrigerated space is expensive and will become increasingly limited. As more and more breweries package great beer, this problem will only accelerate.

2014 A Very Good Year for San Diego Brewers (San Diego, CA) – San Diego breweries dominated this year’s World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival, winning 11 and 14 medals respectively in these heavy-duty competitions. Additionally, Coronado Brewing took home the World Beer Cup Champion Brewery and Brewmaster in the Mid-Size Brewing competition.

The Year-End Distribution Dance Continues (Everywhere, USA) – Bell’s Brewery will be partnering with the Craft Brewers Guild of Los Angeles and expanding its distribution into southern California early next year. And Baxter Brewing is entering the New York City and the Hudson Valley market in the coming year as well. SweetWater Brewing Company has plans to launch in the Windy City in 2015, in what will be its northern-most distribution point to date. But we’re not done! Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is expanding distribution of its wild and sour beers to Georgia and Connecticut, thanks to its distribution relationship with 12 Percent Imports. Whew!

Jacking Things Up!  (Framingham, MA) – To keep up with rising demand, Jack’s Abby has announced that they will be expanding their brewery in the spring of 2015. The new 67,000 sq. foot space will feature state-of-the-art equipment – including a canning line and a 60-barrel brew house for initial brewing capacity of 50,000 barrels annually.The new brewery will feature a 5,000 sq. foot tasting room and restaurant.

What We’ve Been Drinking Lately (Washington, DC) – We’d like to thank all of the American craft breweries who ship us beer from time to time. It’s great to be able to sample the brews that we write about and it helps us have a better feel for what’s happening out there. With the holidays now here, we’ve been drinking nothing but winter seasonals and last night, we opened one that we’d recently received from Evolution Craft Brewing Company. Secret Spot Winter Ale is a 6.3% ABV Altbier with the hoppiness of a big IPA. Very nice!

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