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.

Flying Dog Plans New Farm Brewery In Rural Virginia (Frederick, MD) – At a time when most of us in the industry have unplugged for the holidays, Flying Dog has announced that they will be building a new independent destination brewery in rural Virginia. Set to open in the summer of 2015, Farmworks Brewery will be located at Shadow Farm, a 53-acre spread that will also grow hops to service the state’s growing craft beer industry.The brewery will be situated on approximately 5 acres of the property and will include a 15-barrel brewhouse, cellar, coolship and tasting room, and hospitality area, along with an extensive barrel-aging and sour beer facility.

Craft Beer Home Delivery! (Harrisburg, PA) – YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! A new ruling by Pennsylvania’s Liquor Control Board is paving the way for a paradigm shift of astronomical proportions — home delivery of beer! If the rules are enacted, “food retailers will be allowed to deliver as much as a 12-pack of 16-ounce beers,” according to triblive.com.

The Founding Fathers Explain Themselves (Grand Rapids, MI) – The biggest craft beer story of last week was without a doubt Founders Brewing Company, selling a minority stake in their company to a leading Spanish brewer. And now the brewery’s Co-Founders, Mike Stevens & Dave Engbers, have put up a great letter on their website explaining what led them to their new partnership with Mahou San Miguel. It’s obvious that these guys didn’t take this action lightly – and this is the first thing that we’ve read that really provides some clarity on their decision.

New Surly Destination Brewery Opens (Minneapolis, MN) – Last Friday, Surly’s much-anticipated new brewery finally opened its doors. The new 50,000-square-foot Minneapolis-based facility can fit 275 people and has a brewing capacity that’s three times larger than what they could do at their original facility in Brooklyn Center. Additionally, a 1.5-acre outdoor area is expected to open in the spring, according to the StarTribune.

A Beer for Brainiacs (Copenhagen, Sweden) – Who knew that there is now a beer that will help us solve problems? CP + B Copenhagen worked with Denmark-based Rocket Brewing to create a new beer that they claim will unleash your creativity. According to Fox 32, “a  University of Illinois-Chicago study found that the average person’s “creative peak’ is reached at an alcohol level of 0.075 percent, and the aptly named beer they call “TheProblem Solver” promises to deliver that peak performance as long as you don’t drink another.

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