We hate playing favorites. So when someone asks us what our favorite beer bars in New York are, we usually rattle off a bunch of places. But what are YOUR favorite places? Thanks to Foursquare, we’ve been able to put together a Top 10 List of our Foursquare fans’ most-visited beer bars in New York in the last 30 days. We’re calling it the Brew York Hot List, and we update it every month.

Want to have a say in these rankings? Just like our page on Foursquare and use the app to check-in when you’re out drinking some good beer. We won’t stalk you - the data we get is anonymous.

So, here it is… the top 10 beer bars visited by you, the readers of Brew York, in December:

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As we march forward into 2014 for more craft beer, it’s time to take a look back at the openings, news stories, and highs and lows in New York in the past year. The beer industry continues to march ahead in New York. And while 2013 only saw the opening of two craft breweries in New York (down from three in 2012), there are four within just weeks of completion. And the prevalence of craft beer at bars and restaurants has certainly expanded, too - we wrote up the openings of 19 new beer-centric bars this past year. Here are the highlights of the year that was.

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We’ve been following the Internet chatter this weekend about the above sign posted in Singlecut Beersmith’s taproom, and want to share some responses from the folks at the brewery.

First, Singlecut owner Rich Buceta posted a statement on their brewery’s blog that explains where he’s coming from. Here’s an excerpt:

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For years, brewers, brewers guilds, and larger associations supported by craft brewers have worked hard in concert with each other to do the heavy lifting to improve the industry: lobbying for relaxed regulations and lower excise taxes while also working to promote craft beer. And brewers have always looked out for each other and banding together in times of need, as when Long Island’s Barrier Brewing was destroyed in Hurricane Sandy. Craft brewers are a band of brothers (and sisters) who are all in it for the love of beer and to better the industry.

Or so we’ve thought. Two seemingly insignificant pieces of paper at one local brewer seem to point to a different way of operating. The sign above posted at Astoria’s Singlecut Beersmiths appears to be a shot fired across the bow at other New York City brewers.

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A new craft beer distributor will open for business next month in New York City, marking the first new wholesale purveyor of craft beer in a decade or more. Distributors, to those consumers not in the know, are the second tier of a “three tier system” mandated by state law that acts as the middle man between the brewery and the consumer. There are a few big players in this game in the five boroughs, notably Union Beer, Manhattan Beer, and S.K.I. Beer, but Sarene Craft Beer Distributors will be the new kid on the block, specializing exclusively in craft beer and carrying five brands when they launch next month.

What does this mean for you? Three more out-of-state breweries entering New York City for the first time.

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Looking for a last-minute gift idea? Fresh off the heels of their Winter beer festival back in November, the date has been announced for the NYC Craft Beer Festival: Spring Seasonals. The same way seasonal beer has been creeping ever earlier, this festival is doing the same to keep up. It’ll be February 28th and March 1st, with a first-ever Friday night session. The best news? For the holidays, the tickets are very nicely-priced.

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