Hey it’s Friday and this is the final weekend of 2013. And with New Year’s Eve just days away, it’s time for some serious fun. Well good, because we are on it! From the nation’s coolest beer festivals to movies, music, and cutting-edge TV, we’ve got your back big-time. Plus we’ve got a special Serious Beer Pick that you’ll want to share.

So welcome to our special “SAY GOOD-BYE TO 2013” Edition ofWeekend Picks.

New Year’s Eve Training Sessions (Washington, DC) – Hopefully we don’t have to tell you that New Year’s Eve is on Tuesday – and you can’t expect to be in peak New Year’s drinking condition without some training sessions. And that’s exactly what some of the ACB crew will be doing this Saturday at the Right Proper Brewing Company and we suggest you join us at 5 pm to get into competitive drinking-shape. A number of our correspondents are coming into the Nation’s Capital from different parts of the country just to participate. So look for us at the table having demonstratively too much fun – we’d love to see you!

12 Beers of Christmas (Glenside, PA) – One of the things that we most enjoy about this season is its wonderful holiday beers and just because Christmas is over doesn’t mean we are. That’s why Union Jack’s 12 Beers of Christmas Tap Takeover is such a great idea! This Saturday, December 28, Union Jack’s Pub just outside of Philadelphia will be holding an all-day tap takeover featuring 12 fine holiday brews!

Check out this awesome tap list:

Affligem Noel 
Corsendonk Christmas 
Spring House Martians Kidnapped Santa Egg Nog Stout 
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice 
Anchor Merry Christmas & Happy New Year – Our Special Ale (2013) 
Troegs Mad Elf 
Fegley’s Brew Works Rude Elf Reserve 
The Bruery Six Geese-A-Laying 
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
DuClaw Sweet baby Jesus
Bells Christmas Ale
He’Brew Jewbelation ReBorn (aka #17) 

On The Big Screen – Although Martin Scorsese’s newest opus opened on Christmas, it sounds more like a New Year’s Eve kind of movie to us. The Wolf of Wall Street stars Leonardo DiCaprio and tells the true story of Jordan Belfort, a wealthy Wall Street stockbroker/con-man and his drug-fueled rise and fall. This is Scorsese at his most audacious – the opening scene sets the tone with DiCaprio snorting cocaine off a hooker’s thigh and that’s just the start of three hours of comic debauchery and consequences. Jonah Hill stars as DiCaprio’s partner-in-crime and Matthew McConaughey as his mentor. Be forewarned: this movie is clearly not for everyone – but if you’re a fan of Martin Scorsese (as we are) – you’re not going to want to miss this!

New Year’s Eve “The Video” – With everyone gearing up to celebrate the coming of 2014, some of you might just decide to spend your time at home. So if a couch, some serious beer (see below), and a video rental sound like the ticket this weekend (or on New Year’s Eve), we’ve the perfect rental for you. Gary Marshall’s New Year’s Eve is a sprawling romantic comedy that depicts a series of holiday vignettes and features a large ensemble cast with everyone from Robert De Niro and Halle Berry to Ludacris and Jon Bon Jovi. It’s a pleasant, easy, and painless diversion – which is maybe why you decided to stay home in the first place.

Our Serious “Say Good-bye to 2013” Weekend Beer Pick

You can’t say good-bye to 2013 without the right beer in your hand. Our choice this year is from one of our favorite breweries – Kent, Washington’s Airways Brewing – and that beer is their aptly named Final Departure Imperial Stout. 2012’s Final Departure took a silver in the Washington State Beer Awards, and this year’s version (which we’ve been holding for New Year’ Eve) is rumored to be even better – so we’re psyched.