Of the most recent batch of New York City-based breweries, few have made as much of a splash as quickly as Alphabet City Brewing Company. The company made its way across the Five Boroughs, starting off as a small operation and hand delivering kegs of their wildly popular Easy Blonde. They've just released their second offering, the Dizzy Brewnette, an American take on a German amber style.

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 with so much going down lately - all that's changed. So here's some of what's happened in the world of craft beer news while you were enjoying your weekend.

We're big fans of music here at the American Craft Beer compound. We think that music and craft beer were made for each other. And when it comes to the best music, we've got opinions, big-time......So here are, in no particular order, our picks for the Best Music of 2012.

Hey it's Friday and we're heading into the weekend. So you're still getting over your long holiday break and not yet adjusted to being back at work. You've got to be hurting getting back in the swing and you're in need of a fun weekend. That's where we come in! We're all about the fun and we've got you covered. Plus we've got some special weekend beer picks for you too ........So welcome to this week's edition of our awesome Weekend Picks!

So many new 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 edition of Newbies - your guide to great new craft beer releases!

Many of us can only dream of finding the perfect profession or having the opportunity to pursue our favorite hobby. Yet sometimes, as was the case for Midnight Brewery, the pursuit of perfection leads you down an entirely different road. All the tell-tale signs that Trae Cairns was destined to be more than just an avid homebrewer were there - from staying up all hours to brew even after putting in a full day's work to the growing demand among his friends for his homebrews.

It's Wednesday and it's Rumor Mill Time.....Garrett Marrero and crew have just announced big plans in the islands and have given us yet another reason to go to Hawaii! We'll be giving you everything that we know so far, plus we've got some fast-breaking craft beer news from the "Granite State" as well as from Port City Brewing. We also have a hot new release that you've got to get your hands on! So fasten your seatbelts everybody, because ....THIS WEEK'S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

The fine folks at Monday Night Brewing extended a generous invitation to American Craft Beer along with other beer industry folks to tour their brand spanking new facility before opening it to the public.

We just received this press release from the folks at New Belgium and we're running with it because we think they keep doing good things.

While it's always great to hear about a brewery opening, it's even better when you can see a true passion and commitment to the art of brewing shine in every aspect of a new business. Such is the case with Ashland's newest brewery, Center of the Universe Brewing Company (COTU). Owners and brothers Chris and Phil Ray began searching for the right spot for their own brewery three years ago, and this past November, they opened their doors to an eager community of craft beer fans and haven't looked back since.