Hey it’s Wednesday and it’s almost the new year….And as we say good-bye to 2014 and ready ourselves for the new year, Rumor Mill continues to reflect on “the year that was” across the country. Plus we’ve an all-important update on what we’ve been drinking in the last week of 2014.

Craft Breweries Double in the “Prairie State” (Chicago, IL) – 2014 has been a terrific year for craft beer in Illinois – a state that now has more than 90 breweries operating today. More than 76 of those breweries are located in the Chicago region, where as many as 20 more breweries are planning to open next year! The number of breweries has doubled in Illinois in the last five years.

Craft Beer Continues to Soar in Oregon (Salem, OR) – To the surprise of quite possibly no one, 2014 proved to be another huge year for craft bear in “The Beaver State,” with production continuing to steadily increase and “more than two dozen new breweries opening” according to The Oregonian. In addition to all the new breweries coming online, “2014 also saw the 30th anniversary of two of the state’s pioneer craft breweries: BridgePort and Widmer Brothers Brewing.

2014 A Big Year for Craft Beer in Ohio (Columbus, OH) – More than 25 breweries launched in the “Buckeye State” in 2014, according to ohio.com. “Ohio is now one of 13 states with more than 100 breweries.” Established players like Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland underwent major expansions in 2014 and nanobreweries started popping up all over the state.

Expansion, Expansion, Expansion (Everywhere, USA) – So many breweries expanded in so many ways in 2014 – not to mention all the breweries that have upped their distribution to include a multitude of new regions. Allagash wrapped up a new brewhouse expansion that will allow them to grow their sours program. Bells built-out, as did Ballast Point, Russian River, and many others. Sierra Nevada started brewing in North Carolina and New Belgium will be joining them soon. Green Flash will be opening their new East Coast facility in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2015. Stone will be building new breweries in Richmond, Virginia, and Berlin, Germany. And Lagunitas has their new Chicago facility up-and-running too. What an incredible year! But fasten your seat belts because we predict that this coming year will be even bigger.

What We’ve Been Drinking Lately (Washington, DC) – We’d like to thank all of the American craft breweries who shipped us beer in 2014. It’s been great to sample the brews that we write about and it helps us have a better feel for what’s happening out there. With winter finally here, it’s time for big Imperial Stouts. And last night, we opened a favorite of ours from Airways Brewing Company. 2014’s Final Departure Imperial Stout uses the same recipe as in years past but they’ve added a twist. This year’s 9.1% ABV version was brewed with whiskey barrel-aged coffee beans, which adds yet another dimension to an already fantastic brew!

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