At least, in name. On the eve of the first NAB national sales meeting post-Florida Ice and Farm Company sale, the company has announced the brewer of MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale will soon operate as Portland Brewing Company.

The 26-unit,100 tap handles-and wings-oriented chain is ramping up for some serious expansion – and changes at the tap tower.

According to Technomics Adult Beverage Insights Group meeting, completed late last year, craft-centric operators are the least likely of all surveyed to have taken pricing on beer in 2012.

That’s right: The brewer hopes to follow a year of +52% in sales/depletions and (+49% in revenue) and a new North Carolina brewery with 6 new markets in 2013 – starting with Michigan in Q1, Chad Melis told CBD.

The BA’s Julia Herz sees craft beer cocktails as simply an outgrowth of on-premise retailers and mixologists getting hip to craft. Indeed, it’s not the newest thing — but the craft producer push for it might be, and accelerate the trend.

CBA has reorganized much of its top sales force….

Firestone Walker is opening Texas: Austin with Brown Distributing in February and the Dallas Ft. Worth region with Andrews the following month. Andrews will cover North Texas and Corpus Christi as well. And Houston will come later in the year, per David Walker.

“The timing was very good for us,” Kim told CBD. “There comes a size when you’re so big that it’s really difficult to manage the size of debt that New Belgium would become, so that’s one reason. I think the primary reason is that, my board has really been clear that it’s best to be looking at things like perpetuation when you’re not …

Another Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival has just passed. It’s one of those beerfests for brewers, thanks to Vail’s landscape. And as such, it’s a useful barometer for where their heads are at the start of each year…

We hear strong rumblings in the New York market post Small Brewers bill. A lot more would apparently like to move. But unsurprisingly, suppliers are facing headwinds from ambiguity in the law.

Minority partner and famed beer author Randy Mosher said the suit shouldn’t disrupt operations…

The latest figures (from 2011) put Shipyard as the 16th largest craft brewer; but with 158,510 barrels output and 22% growth in 2012, we wouldn’t be surprised if they jumped a spot.

Breckenridge marketing director Todd Thibault hinted at some new brewery news on the Colorado Craft Beer Show podcast.

The Deschutes guys are busy. And not just ’cause they’re rolling Chicago this week.

Craft veteran Bob “Sully” Sullivan is joining Dallas MillerCoors house Andrews Distributing as Vice President of Specialty and Craft beer brand building, CBD has learned.