In the beginning of this new year we look back and try to remember what happened over the past year. We go over some of the major happenings in the world of Craft Beer, we discuss the rise in hop production in 2016, and we look forward to what we might be drinking in 2017.

It’s time to celebrate a real drinking holiday! Not the kind we think of like St. Paddy’s or Labor Day, this holiday has constitutional ramifications. We discuss the historical significance of December 5th and the alcohol you are drinking. Then, spurned an article by Joshua Bernstein, we talk about the inconsistencies of bottle dating and how that affects the beer we buy off the shelf.

What do you do when you get to your holiday party and there is no craft beer? Do you drink macro, stick to liquor, or find holiday themed drinks? We discuss the options in this quick holiday Happy Hour. Share your holiday party hacks with us on facebook, twitter, or email us.

A few months ago, there was a Serious Eats article about the benefits of craft breweries selling out to macro beer companies. While we have our own feelings about breweries that sell out, we thought it would be better to read from a Blog Post by Modern Times’ Jacob McKean that sums up our feelings, as well as adds the small business and brewer’s perspective that we don’t have. Jacob refutes a lot of the points in the article and brings up some larger systemic problems with these kinds of buy outs. We finish with a discussion about what the future holds for the craft beer movement and how these brewery purchases will shape it.

It’s a history lesson this week as we delve into the Reinheitsgebot and some of the 500 years of history that come along with it. Phil takes us through the history of the German beer purity law We talk about how came into existence, how it evolved over the years, and even how it shaped how Germany became the country we know it today. Most importantly we discuss the many things about Reinheitsgebot we’ve gotten wrong on the podcast over the years. It’s a learning experience for us all!

In this episode Paul and Graham drink a beer from a brewery that made a surprise entrance into the NYC craft beer scene. This brings them to a discussion of breweries that are new to distributing to New York, how brewers are helping combat food waste, and a brewery on a boat!

This week we talk about the most recent buyout, the cessation of a brewery pension program, and states with low ABV laws. We also have a beer and kick around the results of the 2016 General Election.

This week the AB InBev CEO that claimed beer drinkers “Get a bit tired of choices.” So we grabbed as many styles of beer we could and kicked around our thoughts about the country’s craft beer selection. We discuss brand loyalty as well as touch on market share and the increase in buying local craft beer.

This week Paul and Phil toss around a couple stories making waves in craft beer. First they discuss some layoffs by a big craft brewer and what that means for this brewery and the rest of the industry. Next they discuss another craft beer sell out to big beer, though this time it’s not a brewery. They discuss what the sale of Northern Brewer to Big Beer means for homebrewers in America. Finally, they discuss a new coffee and beer concoction from Starbucks and two brewers who legally changed their first names.

Japanese conglomerate Kirin Holdings has purchased a piece of Brooklyn Brewery. Paul and Phil hash out what this means in the scope of other recent craft brewery sales, what this might mean for the Williamsburg brewery in New York City, and what the future might hold for Brooklyn Brewery. Also, they give their opinion about the upcoming ownership change for America’s Oldest Brewery.