It's Wednesday and its Rumor Mill Time! In spite of extensive planning Heavy Seas Deer finds itself in completely uncharted waters for 2013! We'll be giving you everything that we know so far, plus we've some fast-breaking craft beer news from the boyz at DC Brau and an update from the Stone compound...We also have two hot new releases that you'll definitely want to get your hands on. So fasten your seatbelt because...THIS WEEK'S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

When Jim Elliott retired to the greater Cedar Creek Lake area, he became all too aware of the lack of craft breweries in his new surroundings. While homebrewing was a temporary fix, Jim's family and friends continued to encourage him to pursue what his business-oriented mind had already determined was a great opportunity - opening his own brewery.

So many craft 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 "Winter's Coming" edition of Newbies - your guide to great new craft beer releases!

Although we've been known to graze a craft beer store (or two) in our time.... we're generally not big shoppers here at the American Craft Beer offices. We don't frequent the malls if we can help it and we'd rather shoot ourselves than shop on what many say is the biggest shopping day of the year. We've got a better idea than fighting the shopping hordes on Black Friday....We're starting a new holiday tradition. We're bringing in Black Beer Friday!

Hey it's Friday and we hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving. Holiday weekends are the best but there's got to be more to do than just eating and shopping, right? That's where we come in. We're all about it and we've been chasing down all kinds of things that you might want to do. Plus we've got a two seasonal weekend beer picks that you need to know about! So welcome to The Post-Thanksgiving Edition of Our Weekend Picks!

Thanksgiving is a fortunate time for beer-lovers. The shelves are still sporting the pumpkin beers and Oktoberfests from fall, and the winter ales have started to emerge. Better yet, Thanksgiving is arguably the best holiday for kicking back and relaxing with a cold brew in hand. Whether you're slaving away in the kitchen or watching the Texans kill the Lions, we've got the beer for you.

It's Wednesday and its Rumor Mill Time! Flying Dog Brewery has just completed big-time negotiations with Washington Redskins tight end powerhouse, Chris Cooley! We'll be giving you everything that we know so far, plus we've some fast-breaking craft beer news from Alaska's smallest and most talked about brewery. We also have two hot new releases that you'll definitely want to get your hands on. So fasten your seatbelt because...THIS WEEK'S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

The last time I was at Holiday Valley, my cousin broke her wrist snowboarding, and that night nearly broke my nose when she rolled over in her sleep and hit me in the face with her new cast; but these two sour memories could not possibly outweigh all of the good ones I have of this place. Flying down freshly groomed trails, drinking hot cocoa in the beautiful lodges, and eating the best chicken pot pie of my life are just a few of my favorites, but this weekend I made a few memories that were very different from the rest.

A lot of attention has been (rightfully!) paid to Portland, Oregon over the past few years. From the outstanding parody (?) series Portlandia to the current "fairy tale without vampires" series Grimm, Portland provides an excellent backdrop of scenic beauty and cultural treasure. Part of what makes Portland so curious for outsiders is that it's tucked up in the Northwest corner of the United States where its citizens are free to experiment, play, and create. For a long time the rich craft brewing scene has been part of that culture and now there is a way to take it all in, by bike, in a new book titled Hop In The Saddle that combines pedals and pints.

Although the old Rainier Brewery closed its doors in 1999, the facility has not yet seen the end of its brewing days. In 2010, the Emerald City Beer Company moved in with a beer lab and tasting room built directly into the old Rainier cold room. Though the Emerald City Beer Company made some renovations to the space (such as adding a bar and covering the cork lining on the walls), the historical significance is not lost as you take a tour of the facility. The tasting room is built upon an old loading dock, and you can view the old Rainier lagering tanks through a window in the (new) brewery.