Places that are warmer than Wisconsin these days include Mars and Mt. Everest, yet I still wasn't surprised when the Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest sold out yet again last Saturday despite the frigid temperatures. For the fifth year in a row, the culmination of Wisconsin culture drew people out of their toasty homes and into the arms of warming ales and succulent cheeses. In a marathon event, I drew out the highlights from an extensive range of brand-new brews to long-beloved ones.

Hey it's Friday and 2014 is definitely on. You're ready to play this weekend and you want to keep things fun. Well good, because we're all about it and we've got all kinds of ideas. From the nation's coolest beer festivals to movies, music, and cutting-edge TV - we've got your back big-time. Plus we've a serious Weekend Beer Pick that you'll want to get your hands on.

So welcome to our awesome Weekend Picks...

So many beers, So little time...Newbies is your essential map to the "best of the best" and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week. From the return of Airways Brewing's infamous Loud Lady to the latest from Breakside and Bison Brewing - we've got all kinds of new releases you're going to want to chase down.

So welcome to another edition of Newbies - your ultimate guide to great new craft beers!  

Hey it's Wednesday and that means it's Rumor Mill Time....Word that Bluejacket's Head Brewer has parted ways with the company is rocking the mid-Atlantic brewing community and we'll be bringing you everything we know so far. Plus we've some big news coming out of the Boulevard camp and some updates on New Belgium's progress in Asheville. But that's not all... we've also got a special Rumor Mill release you'll want to chase down.

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

Good things are happening in Big Sky Country where craft beer has finally arrived. But this really shouldn't surprise any of you who know the state and its people. Montana has long been known for its wide open spaces and its independent spirit. You've got to think that they'd be all about the craft beer ethos - small independent brewers making beer for themselves and their communities - and now they are.

We've not sampled beer made with bacon and donuts - it's not our thing - but we figure there's probably someone out there who might like it. We feel much the same about a beer that was brewed with moon dust. But even though beers brewed with lunar dust, or donuts for that matter, might strike you as gimmicky and questionable, they're not morally reprehensible.

So welcome to the latest in our ongoing series BAD IDEAS IN BREWING, and we're blaming Iceland for this one...

It's not often that the smell of mesquite-smoked turkey and fresh bread greet me when I go to work every morning. Last Thursday, the enticing aroma of home-cooked goodness was not the product of a pleasant dream, but part of the hunger-inducing experience of spending the entire day shadowing one of Dallas, Texas's finest new executive chefs, Daniel Pittman at LUCK (Local Urban Craft Kitchen).

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.

This is the greatest weekend that's ever happened in the NFL. That may be a bit of hyperbole, but let's get this straight: it is the best weekend this season will see. Two of the best rivalries ignite in the games that decide who will play for all of the marbles: the two future hall-of-fame QBs, both with rings, both with stats, both with something to prove against each other; two young QBs, playing for division rivals that would want nothing than to watch the other burn. This is the NFL Conference Championships.

Hey it's Friday and 2014 is definitely on. You're ready to play this weekend and you want to keep things fun. Well good, because we're all about it and we've got all kinds of ideas. From the nation's coolest beer festivals to movies, music, and cutting-edge TV, we've got your back big-time. Plus we've a serious Weekend Beer Pick that you'll want to get your hands on.

So welcome to our awesome Weekend Picks...