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 to check for messages or craft beer press releases-things were pretty much done. We could step away early, maybe join our friends for a serious beer or two. But all that has changed.  So here’s some of what’s happened in the world of craft beer while you were enjoying your long Labor Day weekend.

With Autumn getting closer, craft beer fans in the a Pacific Northwest are getting ready for their legendary Fresh Hop Beers to return…And to celebrate their return, the Oregon Brewers Guild (OBG) is announcing four upcoming Fresh Hop Fests. These Fresh Hop festivals are scheduled to take place across the state, in September and October, as part of the Oregon Bounty culinary tourism program. Each Fresh Hop Fest will feature original limited release fresh hop beers produced by OBG members.

Hey it’s Friday and we’re heading into a long Labor Day Weekend. We know you’ve been working your ass off and are looking forward to another day of down time. It’s time to start planning your moves for the weekend. 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 weekend beer pick for you too! So welcome to this week’s Weekend Picks!

How does it taste when you distill an American craft beer into whiskey? We’re all about to find out.

So many craft beers, so little time. With so many american craft breweries releasing so many beers, we thought it might be useful to provide a weekly update to help us keep up with all the new beers hitting the streets coming up. So welcome to this week’s edition of Newbies - our weekly guide to new releases that you’ll want to look out for!

The first ever Virginia Craft Brewers Fest was held this past weekend, in Nelson County, Virginia. It was presented by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild and the Virginia Manufacturers Association and took place on the grounds of Devils Backbone Brewing Company, a new brewery that’s been generating considerable buzz in the region.

It’s Wednesday and that means its Rumor Mill time! New Belgium appears to be moving in to Michigan in a big way and the WTF is still fighting accusations of a league-wide scandal involving some big name tank-divers! We’ll be giving you everything that we know so far…. Plus we’ve got all kinds of other news and some hot new releases that you’ll want to get your hands on.

Escondido, CA (August 27, 2012) – Stone Brewing Co. has donated $86,373.61 to ReBuild Waterbury and $30,000 to Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund for efforts to restore Waterbury, Vt., a community that was damaged by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. The proceeds are from the sale of the collaboration beer, The Alchemist / Ninkasi / Stone More Brown Than Black IPA, brewed in December 2011 with Ninkasi Brewing Company in Eugene, Ore. and The Alchemist Pub and Brewery in Waterbury. The beer was sold in 17 states, including Vermont.

Craft Beer’s world-wide appeal is growing rapidly…We've written recently about how it’s taken off in South Africa and that it’s well on its way in Asia. We covered the beginnings of the China craft beer movement and about how popular it had become. But nothing could prepare us for the next step in their craft beer evolution - China’s first collaborative craft beer.