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Just to be clear, the date on this story is July 29, 2013. The upward march of craft beer (per the Brewers Association definition) sales has been so relentless that some days you feel a little like Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day.”

Sales increased 13% in volume in the first half of the year, and 15% in dollars, according the information released today by the BA.

During the first half of 2013, craft breweries sold approximately 7.3 million barrels of beer, up from 6.4 million barrels over the first half of 2012. Overall, beer sales were down 2% through the first six months of the year.

“Demand for beer produced by small and independent brewers has never been higher, as evidenced by increased production and the hundreds of new breweries joining the playing field each year,” said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “Beer drinkers nationwide are responding positively to high-quality, full-flavored, diverse offerings from American craft brewing companies that continue to innovate and push the envelope.”

The BA also reported there are 2,538 breweries operating in the U.S. as of June 30, 2013, an increase of 446 breweries since June 2012. The BA lists an additional 1,605 breweries in planning at the year’s midpoint, compared to 1,252 a year ago.

British brewery Shepherd Neame will brew Samuel Adams Boston Lager for the UK market.

Brewers Guardian reports that a draft version of the beer could be available to Britain’s on-trade as early as mid-April. Boston Beer and Shepherd Neame have a long-standing commercial relationship, as Shepherd Neame has acted as Boston Beer’s importer for more than a decade.

Jim Koch, Boston Beer’s founder and chairman, told Brewers’ Guardian, “The volume has grown steadily in the UK and Europe. There was a point where we thought that it would make sense to brew it in Kent.”

The breweries have spent almost a year working on the project. Of course, when Koch started Boston Beer most of its beer in the United State was brewed under contract, unlike now.

The Samuel Adams recipe will be recreated exactly at Shepherd Neame, the oldest operating brewery in England. The yeast strain is Boston Beer’s own; the hop varieties Hallertau Mittelfrueh and Tettnang Tettnanger will continue to be purchased from Bavarian growers and pelletized by Boston Beer’s proprietary process before being shipped to England.

Shepherd Neame has made some minor modifications to allow it to follow the Samuel Adams brewing process. “There are some unusual steps in it, like a decoction mash, like kraüsening, like dry hopping,” Koch told Brewers’ Guardian. “We have to bring those things along with the beer or else it’s not Boston Lager.”

Anheuser-Busch has acquired Chicago-based Goose Island Beer Co.

Press releases from Anheuser-Busch and Goose Island include the details:

* Goose Island’s legal name is Fulton Street Brewery. Anheuser-Busch reached an agreement to purchase the majority (58%) equity stake in FSB for $22.5 million. Craft Brewers Alliance (CBA), an independent, publicly traded brewer based in Portland, Ore., that operates Widmer Brothers, Redhook and Kona breweries, owns the remaining 42% of FSB and reached an agreement in principle to sell its stake to Anheuser-Busch for $16.3 million in cash. Anheuser‑Busch holds a minority stake (32.25%) in CBA.

* Goose Island sold approximately 127,000 barrels of beer (a barrel equals 31 gallons) in 2010. A-B will invest an additional $1.3 million in FSB as early as this summer.

* Goose Island founder and president John Hall will remain at chief executive.

* Greg Hall, his son, is stepping down as brewmaster but will work a minimum of three of four days a month for the brewery, advising on beers, branding and strategy. “I can’t really talk about what I’ll be doing for another month or so but it won’t be beer,” Hall said in an interview with TimeOut Chicago.

* Brett Porter will take over as brewmaster, beginning May 1. Before joining Goose Island as head brewer in May 2010, Porter worked from 2005 to 2010 as head brewer at Deschutes Brewery in Oregon.

“Demand for our beers has grown beyond our capacity to serve our wholesale partners, retailers, and beer lovers,” John Hall said for a press release. “This partnership between our extraordinary artisanal brewing team and one of the best brewers in the world in Anheuser-Busch will bring resources to brew more beer here in Chicago to reach more beer drinkers, while continuing our development of new beer styles. This agreement helps us achieve our goals with an ideal partner who helped fuel our growth, appreciates our products and supports their success.”

Anheuser-Busch has distributed Goose Island brands since 2006 as part of an agreement with Widmer Brothers Brewing that provides Goose Island access to the network of wholesalers that distribute A-B beers.

“These critically acclaimed beers are the hometown pride of Chicagoans,” said Dave Peacock, president of Anheuser-Busch. “We are very committed to expanding in the high‑end beer segment, and this deal expands our portfolio of brands with high-quality, regional beers. As we share ideas and bring our different strengths and experiences together, we can accelerate the growth of these brands.”

The two Goose Island brew pubs are not part of the deal, but will continue in operation.

The Brewers Association honored two representatives of Missouri breweries and the first woman to receive its most coveted annual award reserved for brewers during the Craft Brewers Conference in San Francisco.

Jennifer Talley of Squatters Pub Brewery and Salt Lake Brewing Co. won the Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Brewing.

“Jennifer has won countless awards at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup against other beers that are of higher alcohol content in styles where alcohol is a key thread to carry the flavor of the beer,” said John Harris of Full Sail Brewing Co., another Schehrer award winner. “She has all of the character of previous winners of this award — a passion for beer, passion for our industry and passion for expanding her and her fellow brewers’ knowledge.”

The award was given in 1997 to honor Russell Schehrer’s contributions to the brewing industry. Schehrer died in 1996 at 38 years of age and was a founding partner and original head brewer at Colorado’s first brewpub, Wynkoop Brewing Co.

The Brewers Association Recognition Award went to John McDonald of Boulevard Brewing Co. McDonald founded the brewery in 1989 and began hand-delivering Boulevard beer to local restaurants in his own pick-up truck. McDonald’s brewery now employs over 90 people and has a capacity of approximately 600,000 barrels per year.

“John pioneered craft beer in a part of the country that did not have a lot of other active small brewers,” said Rich Doyle of Harpoon Brewery. “He was a missionary of sorts and has built a great brewery, brand and business. He is also a very good guy.”

The F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award went to Dan Kopman of St. Louis Brewery, which produces Schlafly Beer. Kopman has worked recently on to promoting legislation that would recalibrate federal excise taxes for small brewers.

“Dan deserves this award for his dedication and leadership on the excise tax bill,” remarked John Pinkerton of Moon River Brewing Co.

The F.X. Matt Award is given in honor of a champion of small brewers, F.X. Matt (1933-2001), president of the F.X. Matt Brewing Co. in Utica, New York from 1980-1989 and chairman from 1989-2001.

The Brewers Association today announced craft bewers produced 11% more beer in 2010 than 2009, and that retail dollar sales increased 12%, representing a growth of more than 1 million barrels (31 gallons per U.S. barrel).

“Beer lovers increased their appreciation for American craft brewers and their beers in 2010,” BA director Paul Gatza said for a press release. “Craft brewers’ stories resonate with Americans who are choosing small, independent companies making delicious beers in more than 100 different styles.”

The Association also reported a growth in the number of U.S. breweries, with 8% more breweries than the previous year. In 2010, there were 1,759 operating breweries. Craft brewers produced 9,951,956 barrels, up from an adjusted 8,934,446 barrels in 2009.

In 2010, craft brewers represented 4.9% of volume and 7.6% of retail dollars of the total U.S. beer category. The Brewers Association estimates the actual dollar sales figure from craft brewers in 2010 was $7.6 billion, up from $7 billion in 2009.

As an interesting side note, Gatza said: “We also found that three percent of craft brewer barrels, by volume, are distributed in cans, confirming a growing trend.”

A more extensive analysis will be released on March 24 during the Craft Brewers Conference in San Francisco. The Association’s full 2010 industry analysis, which shows regional trends and sales by individual brewery, will be published in the May/June 2011 issue of The New Brewer.

Wynkoop Brewing Company’s judging panel has picked its three finalists for the brewpub’s 2010 Beerdrinker of the Year award.

They will compete in the Beerdrinker of the Year finals on Feb. 27 at Wynkoop in Denver. The event is open to the public and admission is free. Two of the three were also finalists in 2007. They are:

Phil Farrell, a Cumming, Georgia commercial pilot, homebrewer, and beer judge. He has tasted beer in every country in Europe, 1000 of the world’s pubs and 400 brewpubs. He’s known to many in the beer community as the “Chicken Man” because he’s hauled his homebrew club’s mascot, a rubber chicken, around the world and photographed it with thousands of beer people.

His philosophy about beer: “Beer is first and foremost a social drink. It is the most flexible and universally affordable fine beverage there is. Every social gathering and every food item is enhanced with beer. Beer is the greatest gift ever given to the human race and meant to be shared with others.”

William Howell, a Sterling, Alaska, college administrator, retired Navy officer, homebrewer, and beer educator. In 2007 he created a new course for Kenai Peninsula College entitled The Art and History of Brewing, and has traveled extensively across Alaska and the West in pursuit of great beer.

His beer philosophy: “I have been a lover of craft beers since 1984 and a homebrewer since 1989. Since my retirement from active duty I’ve been really been able to “get serious” about beer. I decided it was time to start giving something back to the world of craft beer that had given me so much.”

Logan Perkins, a Denver, Colorado beer enthusiast who has tried nearly 5,000 beers in 45 states, 21 European countries and 5 Asian nations.

His philosophy of beer drinking: “Drinking beer is about enhancing the quality of life through flavors, feelings and friends. I love beer alone, but especially enjoy sharing it with others. I believe in handling, collecting and tasting beers with the same respect as a wine lover. I try to keep everything in moderation, including moderation itself.”