This week we are joined by an old friend Rev from the Good Beer Passport. Rev is a food influencer, an expert burger taster, and (most importantly to us) a former craft beer bar owner. We reminisce about the bar he used to own, how the craft beer market has shifted in New York City since that bar opened, and how the Good Beer Passport started to what it has grown in today’s craft beer landscape. You can find Rev on all social media platforms @RevCiancio. The Good Beer Passport is available now at Goodpassports.com and is valid until September 4th. Also, a very special thanks to Good Passport participant One Mile House for hosting and allowing us to record in their space. Grab a pint and join our conversation @TheBeerFriends on facebook, twitter, and Instagram.

The day after Wicked Weed sold to AB InBev we had another brewery sell. Lagunitas agreed to sell their remaining shares to Heineken giving them total control of the countries 9th largest brewery. Meanwhile AB InBev closes the market to South African hops to American Craft Brewers. We discuss these major beer companies affect craft brewers on different levels. Finally, we talk about a disappearing classic brand that may be poised to make a comeback. Grab a pint and join the conversation on facebook, twitter, or instagram @TheBeerFriends

Owner Ray and bartender Carly, of St. Gambrinus Beer Shoppe located in Boerum Hill Brooklyn, offer a unique perspective on navigating the craft beer landscape while owning and operating a local craft beer bar and bottle shop here in NYC. Join us as we discuss the small business side of craft beer, how a bar that is purely craft differs from other establishments, and as Graham asks the cheesiest craft beer questions. Join the conversation @thebeerfriends

Wicked Weed from Asheville North Carolina was acquired by AB InBev. We talk about the meteoric rise of this craft favorite and react to their decision to sell their brewery. Also, we go back over the previous nine craft brewers to sell to AB InBev and discuss what direction they might go next. Grab a pint and join the conversation on facebook, twitter, or instagram @TheBeerFriends

It’s a rare day when we see something new in the world of alcoholic beverages but today is one of those days. We are used to hearing about beer AND whiskey, but what if the beer you were drinking WAS whiskey? We went to Arcane Distilling to talk to Dave Kyrejko about his Lone Wolf Series of Craft Beer Whiskey. He tells us about his process of distilling beer and how his whiskey differs from other distilled craft beers. Also, we learn what Fernet is and got to try his interpretation of this popular spirit.

The lines between craft and macro are blurred when Walmart begins producing its own beer. Though it is marketed to look like a Craft Beer, it obviously breaks more than one of the Brewers Association definition. It is also unclear where exactly these beers are brewed. We ask if all this mean there were legal missteps in calling it “craft beer?” If you’d like to know more about how these beers taste you can check out the reviews on our blog.

Is a rare beer necessarily a good beer? Has being a craft beer fan become a constant hunt for hard to find brews? We discuss rarity in beer and how that affects ratings on specific beer sites. Graham did his part by bringing Alternate Side by Third Rail Beer for us to drink, also he makes jokes about my dog.

Is the time of the beer snob coming to an end? Some certainly think so. Is this a new trend away from Craft Beer or are macro fans just becoming more vocal? Also, this week we say goodbye to a New York Craft Beer institution.

Belmont Massachusetts based bottle shop Craft Beer Cellar found itself the focus of the beer blogosphere recently when an internal memo was leaked to the public. A purchasing guideline for franchisees was dubbed a “blacklist” when it was discovered there was a list of breweries that were not to be carried in stores. Should we be concerned when small businesses take this step or is this normal operating procedure? Does this bother craft beer drinkers? Is this legal? Does we even care? For more context on Massachusetts beer business and laws listen to our episode Boston Beer Bribery Boondoggle.

Check #beercation and you can see that travel and craft beer have been intertwined for a while. Now Travelocity has teamed with the Brewer Association to come up with travel packages for craft beer fans. We discuss craft beer trips we would like to see as well as what are the biggest cities for breweries. We also try nuts for drinks and see how they pair with beer and we finish the episode by discussing where Robin Hood would drink for some reason.