The American Craft Beer Rumor Mill – December 5, 2012

Hey it’s Wednesday and it’s Rumor Mill Time! There was a major Rock Icon sighting at Dogfish Head last week. We’ll be giving you everything that we know so far, plus we’ve got some fast-breaking craft beer news from Tröegs and Saint Arnolds…We also have a hot new release that you’ve got to get your hands on. So fasten your seatbelt because…THIS WEEK’S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

Better Luck Next Year! (Grand Rapids, MI) – In yet another sign of American craft beer’s ever-growing popularity, Mlive is reporting that The Michigan Brewers Guild’s 2013 Winter Beer Festival sold out in less than a day!

Things Like That Can’t Happen Here…Right? (London, England) – The British Parliament has voted to initiate a beer duty escalator that increases tax on a pint by more than inflation every year, and the Mirror is reporting that citizens are protesting this escalation via twitter. Many view increased taxation for killing the nation’s pubs, which have shown alarming declines of late. Pub drinkers currently pay 10 times the duty charged elsewhere in Europe.

Robert Plant & Son Hit Dogfish Head (Milton, DE) Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant wandered into the Dogfish Head Brewery last Thursday and they posted photos with him on their Facebook page (ya think?). Plant was accompanied by his son, Logan, who, while touring the states with his band at the time, Sons Of Albion, was first introduced to American craft beer. He was so taken with it that he left his band, taught himself to brew and eventually founded the Beavertown Brewery in London.

Tröegs Ramping Up In 2013 (Hershey, PA) – Tröegs Brewing Company is ramping up for 2013. With plans for the addition of new fermentation tanks and the introduction of a brand new bottling line, production should be up and that’s a good thing. Expect to see bigger batches of seasonals like Nugget Nectar and Mad Elf.

Saint Arnold’s Gets Iconic (Houston, TX) – Saint Arnold Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewery in Texas, has announced the upcoming release of Saint Arnold ICON, a new line of rotating beers that will complement the brewery’s year-round and seasonal offerings. A different Saint Arnold ICON beer will be released quarterly, with some styles returning from one year to the next and other styles replaced as the brewery continues to experiment. Thx to mybeerbuzz for the lead on this.

Good Luck with That (London, England) – In an effort to rein in UK supermarkets from selling beer for less than bottled water, the Home Office has introduced price minimums per unit and an end to bulk discounts. “If the minimum price goes through, a can of strong lager could not be priced at less than £1.56,” The Economist is reporting, and that the “… government thinks this could cut drinking by 3.3% and save lives.” Like we said – good luck with that.

Kona says Aloha to the Midwest (Kailua-Kona, HI) – Kona Brewing Company has announced it will begin distributing its portfolio of craft beers to five additional markets in the Midwest throughout January and February of 2013. The five new states where Liquid Aloha will now be available on tap and on the shelves are: Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio. With the expanded distribution, Kona beers will now be available in 35 states.