It's been nearly two years since the Boston Calling festival first graced City Hall Plaza, and after four weekend-long parties packed with live music it's hard to imagine life without it. Household names like Lorde, Vampire Weekend, Bastille and Passion Pit have rubbed elbows with Boston bands like Bearstronaut, Bad Rabbits and Gentlemen Hall, causing 40K+ music fans to flock to the concrete jungle we call downtown. 

What do surfing, pizza making, science degrees, and brewing beer have in common? Not much. But 3rd Wave Brewing Company, Delmarva's first and only all-woman owned brewery may not be here without all three.

We can't believe it's May already...So much has happened this year and it doesn't appear that things are going to 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. Plus we've an all-important update on what we've been drinking lately and you absolutely don't want to miss that.

The fifth state we're sipping from is The Golden State, California. Now, in all fairness, tackling this state isn't like taking on the rest: California is the most populous of the 50 States, it has a GDP that would rank about 7th or 8th in the world, according to the CCBA the state houses roughly 554 craft breweries - which increases roughly 20% per year, and It's the foundation upon which craft beer came to be in America today. The bulk of the state's breweries are found in the population centers in the Bay Area, the Central Coast and Metropolitan Los Angeles, and San Diego. As of 2013, the state ranked 1st in total production (2.9 Million Barrels), 1st in economic impact ($4.7 Billion), 1st in total breweries and 19th in breweries per capita, according to the Brewers Assocation.

So many beers, So little time... Avery has a new addition to their Barrels & Botanicals Series that you might need to chase down.  Plus we've some new releases from Second Self and Firestone Walker that sound exceptionally awesome as well.

I just got back from two weeks in Peru and it was an eye-opening experience to say the least. I'd never been to South America before, so I had no idea what to expect and even if I had, nothing would have prepared me for the reality. I wouldn't have dreamed that there's a craft beer scene growing in Lima and Coca leaves to chew everywhere in Cusco. Naturally, I partook freely in both.

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.

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 a wrap... And it's time for some springtime 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!

(Sponsored Post)

One of the things that have made the American craft beer scene so unique and exciting is its collective nature, its willingness to share, and its openness to collaborate. And unlike other industries, where secrets are held close to the vest and competitors kept at a distance, the craft beer biz is not only open to learning and working with others - they actively celebrate it.

Which brings me to Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom and the latest brew they recently collaborated with Summit Brewing on.