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 yourself.

Untappd Merges With Next Glass – (Planet Earth) – Untappd, the popular mobile beer rating and social networking app announced last Friday that they had agreed to merge and become a subsidiary of Next Glass, a beer & wine rating and suggesting application. Both companies have indicated their applications will remain independent, but will benefit from increased data integrations.

A Craft Beer Revolution In Russia? (Soviet Union) – Russians have been traditionally seen as preferring vodka over beer. In fact a World Health Organization study found that 51% of alcohol consumed in Russia was spirits (essentially vodka) and only 38% was beer. But now a whole new generation may be discovering craft beer. According to The Guardian “at least two dozen craft bars have opened in Moscow since the summer of 2014,” and while hardly a revolution – it’s undeniably an encouraging trend.

Words To Drink By (Miami, FL) – “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

– Martin Luther King Jr

Creature Comforts Gives Back Again (Athens, GA) – Community is an important aspect of any successful craft brewery and “serving” the people “you serve” is always a good thing. That’s why we were pleased to hear that Creature Comforts had returned their “Get Comfortable” campaign for the second year in a row – and that they were extending this program (which raises funds and awareness for four regional non-profits) into 2016. The “Get Comfortable” program was originally established to assist with poverty, hunger and homelessness in Athens, Georgia and was so successful and so well received by the entire community that they jumped at the opportunity to roll it out again!

A Pint of Beer to Get More Expensive in Great Britain (UK) – The price of enjoying “a pint” will unfortunately soon get more expensive across the pond. The UK Mirror is reporting that “Heineken, Molson Coors and Diageo, who make Guinness, have hiked wholesale prices by an average 3 pence a pint,” and that this increase “is likely to add between 5 and 10 pence” to the price of a pint at your local pub.

The Best “Best of 2015” Lists Ever! (Washington, DC) – American Craft Beer views the craft beer biz as an entertainment industry that shares its pop-cultural turf with other realms like food, film and music. And every January we pick our favorites from 2015. So check out our Best Television Picks and the Top 10 Albums Of 2015 . And also check out the Best Movies Of 2015 while you’re at it – and let us know if you think we missed anything

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