This Week in Beer: 3 Stories You Missed

Congratulations! You made it through what was likely your first full week of work in 2017 (yes, I wrote 2016 there first and had to edit it out. I’ll be doing that until November). The holiday cheer has fizzled away to January gloom. But fear not, friends: It’s the weekend and it’s time for a beer.

While you were trying to force yourself back into your regular routine this week, or you’re still in mourning after your team lost its NFL Wild Card match-up last weekend, you may have missed some of our favorite stories from CraftBeer.com and our sister websites, HomebrewersAssociation.org and BrewersAssociation.org.

Beer Yeasts are Changing

Yeasts are pretty much the superstars of beer. Remember, they’re living organisms that make the magic happen. But as AHA Competition Coordinator John Moorhead reports, scientists are discovering that domesticated beer yeasts are changing. Here’s his fascinating story “The Domestication of Beer Yeast” (Bonus: You don’t need a degree in biochem to understand it).

Look Who’s Coming to the Craft Brewers Conference

Every spring, thousands of brewery employees, distributors, suppliers, retailers and journalists come together for the Craft Brewers Conference, organized by the Brewers Association. The 2017 summit comes to Washington, DC, and the Brewers Association announced this week that leadership guru Alison Levine and brewing icon Dick Cantwell will be the keynote speakers. Here’s that full announcement along with more details about CBC.

Big Beer Releases in 2017

Ready to get out there and catch those whales? If you’re already looking for your next beercation, what better way to explore new cities than to center your travel around a big beer release. CraftBeer.com contributor Gary Glancy reveals a few of the most anticipated beer releases of 2017 in his new article.

May your weekend be full of good food, great beer and NFL Playoff victory. Oh, and if you haven’t seen Melvin Brewing’s video starring WWE hall of famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan, you should. Here it is.

Cheers from CraftBeer.com!

Jess Baker

Jess Baker walked into a beer fest in 2010 and realized beer had come a long way from what her dad had been drinking since the 70s. She served as editor-in-chief of CraftBeer.com from spring 2016 to spring 2020, bringing you stories about the people who are the heartbeat behind U.S. craft brewing. She's a runner, a die-hard Springsteen fan, a mom who is always scouting family-friendly breweries, and always in search of a darn good porter.

CraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members.