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.

The Empire Strikes Back (Los Angeles, CA) – Lucasfilm, a Disney-owned company, has filed legal notice against Empire Brewing for marketing a Star Wars-themed beer, according to The Independent. Empire’s Strikes Bock (we love this!) is a spring-time Bock beer that the brewpub’s been brewing for the past seven years. But we predict it won’t be using that name if they brew this beer again next spring now that the Death Star has it in its sight.

Cheapest & Most Expensive Beer in the NHL (Everywhere, USA) – Beer at sporting events can be obscenely overpriced – and the National Hockey League’s events are no exception. Prices are currently the highest in NYC, where a beer sells for a ridiculous $10.50 (Go Rangers!). According to Business Insider, who ran the numbers on this, the “average cost for a small draft beer at NHL games this season is $7.45, according to data collected by Team Marketing Report from each team.” Pittsburgh’s Penguins offer the most reasonably priced beer ($5.25) but unfortunately, you’d have to live there to regularly take advantage of it.

New Milestone Set in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle, WA) – The” Emerald City” has reached a new craft beer milestone according to the Washington Beer Blog, who is reporting that the region is now home to a mind-blowing 245 breweries!

How Not To Be Craft Beer (St. Louis, MO) – Hey we get that Big Beer’s “Light” brands have been taking a hit lately – that they’re losing market share to craft beer and are desperate to stem the bleeding. But we don’t think their latest packaging gambit is fooling anyone – and definitely not craft beer fans currently buying pumpkin-style beers. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Anheuser-Busch is packaging its waning Natural Light brand in 24-can “suitcases” sporting a grinning jack-o-lantern. Reporter Lisa Brown goes on to write that the “new “Natt o-lantern” packaging is the latest bid by Anheuser-Busch to bolster its flagging value brand category, which faces steady pressure as drinkers trade up to higher priced beers.”

ACB Beer Week Alerts (Everywhere, USA) – In our ongoing effort to help you plan where you need to be at any given time, we are running regular beer week alerts. The Austin Beer Week just kicked off and runs through November 2. The North Texas Beer Week kicks off appropriately on Halloween and runs through November 9. And Portland’s Beer Week begins on November 1 and runs through November 7.

Got Something You Think We Need To Know About? Send Your Press Releases to:pr@AmericanCraftBeer.com