Hey it’s Wednesday and that means it’s Rumor Mill Time….American craft beer has gone global and we’re expanding our team of international beer writers so you’ll know what’s going on. We’ll get to that and on to other things that are breaking right now in the world of craft beer. Plus we’ve an all-important update on what we’ve been drinking lately.

We don’t sleep so you can….THIS WEEK’S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

ACB Global Initiative Continues! (Washington, DC) – Interest in American craft beer has clearly gone global. And as part of our effort to address our ever-growing worldwide audience, we’ve been bringing on some brilliant international craft beer writers to cover the growing movement in their own unique territories. Sophie Atherton is our new British Correspondent and later this week, you can read her debut. Sophie’s an acclaimed journalist, judge, and broadcaster (as well as a UK Beer Sommelier of the Year). She’s obviously a big deal – and we’ll never truly understand why she decided to put her career at risk and chose to slum with us – but we’re pretty psyched that she did.

Keys to The Kingdom (United Kingdom) – In yet another indication of American craft beer’s growing popularity abroad, Left Hand Brewing has announced that they are strengthening their commitment to the United Kingdom.This September, the Colorado-based brewery will expand supply across the UK with distribution partner James Clay, and they’ve hired an international brewery rep, Sharona Selby, to handle the UK market.James Clay will distribute Left Hand’s award-winning perennial line, including Milk Stout, Black Jack Porter, and Polestar Pilsner with limited releases of Milk Stout Nitro, 400 Pound Monkey IPA, and Sawtooth Ale.

I’ll be Bock! (Baltimore, MD) – We all know about The Terminator, now get ready for the “Caskerator.” Developed by Heavy Seas Beer’s Hugh Sisson along with Paul Pendyck of UK Brewing, Caskerator is basically a conversion kit that works with a standard kegerator and turns your draft system into a cask system.

What We’ve Been Drinking Lately (Washington, DC) – We’d like to thank all of the American craft breweries who have shared their wares with us in the past and those of you who have shipped us beer from time to time. It’s great to be able to sample the brews that we write about and it helps us have a better feel for what’s happening out there. Last night, we enjoyed a new recreation of what is said to have been America’s oldest IPA. Ballantine India Pale Ale originated in 1878 but was phased out in the ’70s in the wake of the juggernaut that is American Lager. A watered-down imposter remained on the market through the mid-90s, but that’s not the beer that we had last night. The current version is a historic re-envisioning of the original. Created by Pabst master brewer Greg Deuhs, the current version embraces both the IPA’s past and its future. At 7.2% ABV, this ale is more English than West Coast-style and its brewed using American oak chips to recreate the taste of a beer that was originally stored in oak and cypress barrels. We’d like to thank Greg for taking the time to share his beer and his vision with us. This legendary IPA is said to have inspired brewers like Sierra Nevada’s Ken Grossman – and you should think seriously about tracking it down.