After months of totally unfounded speculation, it appears that Belgian beer giant Duvel Moortgat's recent buying spree may be over for now. They've done their due diligence and have smartly decided not to purchase AmericanCraftBeer.com.

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.

I've been staring at blank page all morning trying to get my hands around last night's startling news that Firestone Walker had chosen to combine their company with Belgian brewing giant Duvel Moortgat. I've close friends in Paso Robles and was recently there covering their impressive Invitational. And although I'd heard rumors that they might be looking around for partners to further their growth - I'd largely dismissed them as just that- rumors.... So I was blindsided and stunned by last night's bombshell announcement. Some immediate thoughts on this thing...And I'm sure we'll have more on this as events unfold.

Hey we get it.  You're busy and you can't possibly hang with us 24/7. But still, we don't want you to be missing all the good stuff. So as part of our ongoing commitment to bringing you the best craft beer and lifestyle coverage on the face of the planet - and to keep you plugged into our ongoing recklessness - we do a weekly compilation of our recent good, bad and ugly.

So welcome to another Friday Wrap-Up

Hey the work week is almost over... And it's time to start thinking fun. Well good, because we're all about it and we've got all kinds of ideas for you. From the nation's coolest beer festivals, movies and music to cutting edge TV - we've got your back big-time.  Plus we've a special weekend beer pick for you too, because we know you'll be drinking!

So welcome to our awesome Weekend Picks

So many beers- So little time... Imperials and exotics define this week's newbies and we've a number interesting new offerings that you'll want to chase down...Plus we've some new releases from Second Self and Sun King that sound serious as well.

With our headquarters in Washington DC and the bulk of our correspondents found near America's top producing craft beer regions on the coasts, it only makes sense for us to start a new series giving all the states their due, featuring breweries large and small, plus the histories behind them.

We can't believe it is mid-July already...So much has happened this year and it doesn't appear that things will be slowing down any time soon. But no worries - Rumor Mill is always on the case, keeping you plugged in to all the craft beer news that matters. And this week we're all about the 2015 Great American Beer Festival that's returning to Denver the last week in September!

So many beers, So little time... Imperials define this week's newbies and we've a number of new ones that you'll want to chase down...Plus we've some new releases from Firestone Walker and Terrapin Beer that sound serious as well.

In a shocking departure from form, state legislators across the nation have attempted to do the right thing and have passed some flawed craft beer laws that we think are better than no laws at all.

So here're three new messy new craft beer laws that we can live with for now.