Boston News Today - HONEST PINT: TALKING HONEST

It’s been an interesting few weeks, both here at DigBoston and in the craft brewing industry in general.

And in the columns to come, you’ll be noticing some new changes to the paper as well as the kind of news you’ll be consuming in this space. But don’t worry: They’re good changes. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t give you a proper bout of explanation in order to not have you lose your mind at the first sign of something being different with the Honest Pint column. So observe the following rundown…

First: While DigBoston prides itself on being at the cutting edge for all manner of hyperlocal industry news that informed and well-palated readers look for in the weekly Honest Pint column, it’s time to mix things up. As part of this change and new layout, , we’re going to be experimenting with a range of ideas in this space. Sometimes it may be a straight-ahead New England beer industry news report, say, touching on stuff like the recent news that the Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) has set events in motion to purchase a minority stake in Nantucket’s own Cisco Brewers (which is happening).

Or it may be something a little more nationally focused within the beer world. Say, the news that in the last several weeks SABMiller and Molson Coors’ joint venture MillerCoors bought the young Saint Archer San Diego brewery (MillerCoors is also reportedly examining the polarizing popularity of sour ales). Or that Heineken NV landed a 50 percent stake in the 22-year-old Lagunitas brewery. Note: Such news isn’t necessarily the harbinger of doom for the craft beer industry purists often portray it to be. (Or is it?)

Second: This space will also float all manner of local lifestyle, food, dining, shopping, parties, and other normal content you’d see splashed across a more robust filing of our usual Department of Commerce section, now compiled here. This serves two purposes. Namely, to be more selective in the kinds of content that go into the valuable print real estate week in and week out and to be sure that whatever we’re presenting to you each week in this column is the kind of call-to-action news you can use. Be it a new offering from a local brewer we think you should know about (see: Narragansett Double Chocolate Porter), a new brewery coming to you very soon (see: Winter Hill Brewery in Somerville), or a rundown of the local restaurants (both new and old) that are doing interesting things with regards to their assembling of stellar craft beer lists. Either way, we’ll have you covered.

And in the coming weeks, you may see a host of new names in this space, as the Honest Pint column has for some time now been the go-to for local hop heads intent on gleaning the best beer news in the region as told by some of the most exciting established or up-and-coming beer writers in the land.

Until then, keep an eye on this column , as well as the online portal, to maintain your normal levels of beer in-the-know-ness. Because that’s where you live.

You also live on Earth. But you live in the know, too.