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

Zach Mack, our NYC correspondent, also runs the Alphabet City Beer Co. His place is down on Avenue C in lower Manhattan, and he, like so many of the region's small businesses, was hit hard by Sandy. He's not complaining (it's not his style) and explained that so many people took it worse than he, but he did worry that the region's devastation is now an afterthought for many and that the national media's attention may have moved on.

Hey it's Friday and we're heading into our first December weekend. Work had to be brutal coming off a long Thanksgiving break and you're ready to get away and have some fun. That's where we come in. If you're up for some suggestions - we've got them. We're all about it and have got you covered. Plus we've got a massive weekend holiday beer pick for you too! So Welcome to a Holiday Edition of Our Weekend Picks!

The Nation's Capital will be hosting the 2013 Craft Brewers Conference and registration begins next week. This year's conference runs from Tuesday, March 26^th through Friday, March 29^th and promises to be one of the best ever!

Say what you will about Cleveland, but amidst a Chirstmas light-strewn plaza, an Ohio State victory excitement, and craft breweries bursting at the seams to share their latest creations, there's nothing to dislike (unless you're a Michigan fan, of course.) The Winter Wine & Ale Fest that took place downtown last Saturday consisted of 13 breweries from the Cleveland area as well as several wineries and restaurants. The brewers were well-represented at this festival, as were their newly released winter ales.

Craft beer as we know it today has been an evolution. Back in the day, brewing was just a hobby - friends enjoying themselves and experimenting with age-old traditions. But what began in places like the garages of Chico, caught fire in a way that no one saw coming and a great new American tradition was born.

It's not often that a brewery takes such strong action against the selling of its beers on the Black Beer Market, but that is what the Cantillon Brewery of Brussels, Belgium did in response to the sale of its annual release of Zwanze. In 2010, the release of this traditional lambic saw the bottles of delicious brew have an Ebay mark-up of over 1300% (Retail price - $6, Ebay Price - $80)...

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!