Hey it’s Wednesday and that means it’s Rumor Mill Time….Big Beer is shelling out Big Bucks in an effort to ensure that their politician friends understand what their directives are-we’ll be bringing you absolutely everything we know so far! Plus we’ve an update from our friends at Green Flash and some time-sensitive news from the “bad boys” at BrewDog.

So fasten your seat belts everybody because….THIS WEEK’S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

Stupid Is As Stupid Does (Tallahassee, Fl) – This is truly a quote worthy of Forest Gump! In an astonishingly stupid interview with the Associated Press published this weekend,  Florida State Senate President Don Gaetz admitted that bills crafted to deny consumers access to 64 oz. growlers in the Sunshine State “are against his free-market principles, but that he will vote for them anyway because his friend, an Anheuser-Busch InBev distributor and GOP donor, told him to.” The Tampa Bay Business Journal is reporting that currently, “growlers are only allowed in quart-size and gallon size.”

The Best Government That Money Can Buy (St. Louis, MO) – While we’re on the subject of Big Beer and American politicians, it’s come to light that AB InBev spent over $4 million on lobbying in 2013. According to Fool.com, “the beer behemoth is spending more money lobbying politicians than ever before, plunking down $4.3 million in 2013.” MillerCoors (the SABMiller and MolsonCoors joint venture) were all about it as well – they forked out a cool $2 million to make sure that their words of wisdom were heard.

Brew Dogs TV Series Returns (United Kingdom) – Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, the BrewDog camp has announced that their Esquire Network series Brew Dogs has been re-upped for a second season. The always topical James Watt & Martin Dickie will be returning for a ten-episode run and insist that there’s absolutely nothing we can do about it.

More States Raising ABV Laws (Everywhere, USA) – Thanks to grassroots organizations such as Raise Your Pints in Mississippi, Pop the Cap in North Carolina, and Free the Hops in Alabama – laws allowing for higher ABV levels are increasing throughout the nation, according to The Week. “Montana raised its limit to 14 percent in 2008, while Vermont upped its cap to 16 percent, thus allowing The Alchemist to brew its renowned Heady Topper (8 percent ABV). Alabama and West Virginia followed suit one year later, increasing their ABV limits to 13.9 percent and 12 percent, respectively.”

Green Flash Gets a New Look (San Diego, CA) – The Green Flash Brewing Company recently introduced a fresh new look for the brand, including redesigned packaging for the entire Green Flash product rotation. With more people drinking serious beer, Green Flash aims to present straightforward information focused on education. CEO and Co-Founder Mike Hinkley explained that “the new packaging remains distinctly Green Flash, yet equips us with the right tools to better communicate with the consumer as we enter a new era for craft beer.”

Washington State Farmers Markets Just Got More Fun! (Olympia, WA) – Thanks to a bill that was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee in July, farmers market visitors will soon be able to sample craft beer (and wine for that matter – but we don’t care about that). There are some restrictions, according to The Olympian. “Booths serving alcohol must either have food available to serve, or be located next to a food vendor” (we’re okay with that). And “samples must not exceed 2 oz. per customer per day” (no biggie either -we’ve beer at home.)