IPA Day is back! On Aug. 2, 2012, join beer enthusiasts across the globe in a collective toast to one of craft beer’s most iconic styles: India Pale Ale!

“We are not in a bubble, we are knee deep in foam & the foam is still rising.” – Charlie Papazian

The author of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, founder of the Great American Beer festival, the American Homebrewers Association and the Association of Brewers welcomed regional craft brewers, microbrewers, pub brewers, allied trade and media alike.

Thousands of people in the beer industry came to San Diego to network with one another at the 29th Craft Brewers Conference at the Town & Country Resort and Conference Center. Thirty five countries were in attendance, totaling approximately 4,500 people.

Big beer is often portrayed as a simple way to socialize. But there is nothing ordinary about the amazing beers that are poured at Stone Brewing’s Oakquinox. This age-old tradition of barrel aging beers has returned with a flavor busting vengeance, in festival form.

The Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) is the only industry event that serves both brewpubs and packaging breweries. On May 2nd, professional brewers will meet to exchange ideas on how to improve brewery quality and performance. CBC is the number one environment in North America for concentrated, affordable brewing education.

St. Patrick’s day is among the greatest beer-drinking holidays, where millions collectively fill up the mighty pint of beer, toasting to the patron saint of Ireland.

When you reach for a drink tomorrow, any one of these beers will serve you quite well.

The cold winter months not only bring us sparkly lights, lingering spiced aromas and tryptophan induced naps, but Winter Warmers and Christmas Ales with mountains of malt, spices, fruit and herbs, completely devoid of subtlety.  My kinda’ beers.

Glasses were raised in unison across the world on November 3^rd, the first International #StoutDay. Together, about 1.3 million people across the U.S., England, Canada, Brazil and Ireland celebrated this historic and iconic beer style and toasted to the craft beer revolution.

Imagine a beer store that offers over 900 bottles and 9 rotating taps filling growlers!  

With a selection containing excellent Belgian Strong Pale Ales like Delirium Tremens, limited brews like Dogfish Head Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, collaborative beers such as BrewDog Mikkeller Devine Rebel 2010, sweet stouts from the south like Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout, English ales like Gale’s Prize Old Ale 1998, Belgian IPA’s like Houblon Chouffe, Stone’s Vertical Epic series, winter dark ales such as Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza and 30 different beers from Sierra Nevada alone, there WILL be something to please your pallet.

Well, the first International Stout Day was a huge success!

There were stout tastings, dinners, specials and even festivals all across the country, in Meridian, Idaho, San Diego, California, Kansas City, Missouri, Denver, Colorado  San Francisco, California and Manhattan, New York and in many other cities and towns across America.  Tyne And Wear in the UK and Asa Norte in Brazil even got in on the stout action by offering specials on specialty stouts in casks, kegs and bottles.  The store at Toronto's Amsterdam Brewery actually sold out of their Tempest Imperial Stout.

I won’t go into just how much fun I had in Vegas recently, but suffice it to say I ended up staying an extra two days and switching hotels to a Palm suite, the bastardized version of the Playboy Palm Suite. Sweet, nonetheless.