Plenty happened over the weekend and we're doing our best to keep up.

It used to be that when we wrapped up our Weekend Picks on Friday, we could coast through the weekend. No more need to check for industry email or 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 while you were enjoying your weekend.

Case Closed! (Newport, OR) We wrote about Rogue's Mystery Brew 15,000 in last week's Quick Hits. Brew 15,000 is being brewed to celebrate headbrewer, John Maier's, long standing relationship with Rogue Ales. To commemorate 23 years, 900+ awards, and 15,000 batches Rogue is releasing 1515 bottles of BREW 15,000. And what's being brewed is no longer a mystery either- it's a Belgian Stout! According to Rogue's Facebook page, BREW 15,000 will be available through a limited release on www.rogue.com – each bottle will be hand numbered and signed by John. Stay tuned for date of availability...

What's Next...Craft Beer Year? (Richmond, VA) – Virginia has passed legislation designating August as Virginia Craft Beer Month. The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, the Governor's Office and the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) also took this opportunity to unveil the new VTC "Love on Tap" campaign, where tourists will be encouraged to enjoy the many craft beer events taking place across the Commonwealth next month. The VTC also launched their new craft beer website that features a calendar of events as well as map of Virginia's craft breweries.

Harpoon's New White IPA (Boston, MA) – Harpoon Brewery is the latest brewery to add a "White IPA" to its portfolio. The beer will join the 100 Barrel Series next month as Session #43. The 100 Barrel Series celebrates the brewing talents and creativity of Harpoon Brewers. From experimental styles to interpretations of old favorites, each 100 Barrel Series beer is a limited batch and a personal expression of the art of brewing. Every couple of months a different Harpoon brewer will spend a few late nights in the brewery, brewing test batches on the pilot system. Harpoon's White IPA was borne of an effort to meld a uniquely American IPA beer style with aspects of the Belgium Wit! Look for it next month.

Ireland No longer Drinking Its Share (Dublin, IE) - The Irish drank about nine pints of beer less in 2011 than they did the previous year, according to a report covered in the thejounal.ie. The report issued by the Irish Brewers' Association showed a marginal decline in Irish domestic beer consumption, with the average person in Ireland drinking 86 liters – the equivalent of 151 pints – of beer last year. And though 151 pints is still a healthy number, it's still down from 2010 and is reason for concern for the Irish- a proud people committed to serious drinking.