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 enjoying your weekend.

Hey it's Friday and the weekend's almost here. The weather's getting warmer and you're ready for some fun, and that's where we come in! We're all about it and we've got your back big-time. Plus we've got a special weekend beer pick that you'll want to track down. So welcome to this week's edition of our awesome Weekend Picks!

Gin barrel-aged beer not part of your repertoire? I can take a good guess as to why. I can also provide a few good reasons why it should be. Gin isn't traditionally aged in barrels. Lack of gin barrels = lack of gin barrel-aged beer. But recently, a few select brewers have found a way to make it happen, and hell am I happy that they did.

The second round of the NHL playoffs is underway with four of the "Original six" still in it. Hard hitting and high scoring, this round is going to be a knock-down drag-out. What does this have to do with beer, you ask? Have you ever watched hockey?

So many beers, So little time...With so many craft breweries, releasing so many beers, we thought it might help to provide a weekly update on all the new beers that are hitting the streets...So welcome to this week's edition of Newbies - your guide to great new craft beer releases!  

Hey it's Wednesday and it's Rumor Mill Time...There's more news coming in from Dogfish Head about their Grateful Dead collaboration beer. We'll be bringing you everything we know so far, plus we've got some fast-breaking news from Heavy Seas and an update from our friends at Ballast Point. We've also got an awesome new Seattle Beer Week release that you'll want to chase down. So fasten your seatbelts everybody...THIS WEEK'S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

It's generally not a good idea to get into a van driven by strangers - unless the vehicle in question belongs to Boston Brew Tours. In that case, you should absolutely climb inside, 'cause they're about to take you on a whirlwind day of drinking and craft beer schooling.

It's no secret that many state governments are cash-strapped and in desperate need of revenue - and that they're looking anywhere they can to raise it. The primary ways that a state or local government generates money is through property taxes, sales taxes and, of course, income taxes. But in addition to those "Big Three," there are other and less obvious ways that governments use to raise revenue, and one of those ways is what's commonly referred to as "sin taxes."

Even those who live in the deepest and darkest caves of Portland realize that July is the month when all the hop-heads in town come out to enjoy some of America's finest craft beers down by the river. Oregon's Craft Beer Month has gotten bigger with every passing year, and now that 52 brewers call the Rose City home, an even wider variety of festivals are popping up. If ever there was a cause for celebration, it's all the craft beer festivals that take place in Portland in July.

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 enjoying your weekend.