To my regular readers, I apologize as it appears I inadvertently happened upon an almost two-week hiatus. The bad news: You missed me.

The good news: We have plenty to catch up on in this week's addition of the Beer Blog Round-Up!

Let's dive right in:

1. Sick of the same old beer events? Here's a new one for you: a "Simul-cask." Apparently, Dogfish Head has decided to debut their new 75 Minute IPA by simultaneously tapping casks of the brew in four different cities on the East coast at precisely 7:50 EST today. Find additional details as well as participating locations on Beernews.org.
2. Always worried about his weight, Joe Sixpack discusses the not so easy job of beer calorie-counting (though supposedly mandatory beer labeling is on its way). The post was inspired by the recent release of Does My Butt Look Big In This Beer? -- a guide to the nutritional information of over 2,000 beers worldwide.
3. Beer Examiner Charlie Papazian wants you to vote for "Beer City, USA." Go help him out and lend your hometown or favorite beer destination some support.

Read the next five after the jump. ...

This morning, I was reading an article from DRAFT Magazine that ran over the summer. A quote from Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head really grabbed my attention. When asked why craft beer was currently booming, he replied:

"What [consumers] are seeing is that the world of beer offers a much more affordable connoisseurship than that of wine. The fact is you can go into a store with $10 and come out with a world-class six-pack of beer. Try and do that with a world-class bottle of wine. It's just not going to happen. That's what is, for me, really exciting, particularly in an economically challenging time like we have right now... [you] can go out tonight to Whole Foods and plunk down $10 and get the world's best something: really great, creative, and artisanal beer that fits into that price."

Oddly enough, this quote got me thinking about baseball cards.

Being a child of the 80's, around 1985, I started going crazy for baseball cards. Turns out I was just one of the sheep because so did the rest of the country. The number of companies selling MLB cards suddenly expanded and card speculation was at an all-time high (or at least it appeared so based on the knowledge I had amassed in the ten years I had been alive).

Did you know Halloween is one of the biggest drinking days of the year? Scary, huh? But let's be honest, for most of us, we reach a certain age where our inhibitions have to be chemically lowered to get into costume. Still, if you're going to be dressed like an idiot, you might as well drink smart, so this week I present a list of the top Halloween beers.

And yes, I realize despite being the Slashfood Ate (8), this list has ten beers. Don't blame me, the list was compiled by DRAFT Magazine. They're not constricted by our pun, and I'd hate to leave people wondering what the last two beers were. I did however shorten the descriptions out of respect for the living. To read the full list, check out DRAFT Magazine's September/October issue.

1. Deathly Pale Ale by ReaperAle Brewing Co. -- Pleasant blend of floral and citrus notes.
2. Halloween Ale by Gritty McDuff's -- Extra special bitter with 6% ABV.
3. Ghost Rail Pale Ale by Boulder Creek Brewing Co. -- Spooky pale ale.
4. Witch's Brew by 5 Seasons Brewing Co. -- English-style pale ale concocted with bits of yarrow, Irish moss and garlic.
5. Hop Goblin IPA by R&B Brewing Co. -- Uses five types of hops and measures 45 IBUs.
6. Raven's Eye by Eel River Brewing Co. -- Dark, espresso-color imperial stout.
7. Night Owl Pumpkin Ale by Elysian Brewing Co. -- Perfect for anyone that considers gorging on pumpkin pie a highlight of the fall season.
8. Horny Devil by AleSmith Brewing Co. -- Caramelized sugars, malts, hops and coriander make up this Belgian strong ale.
9. The Headless Man by Tyranena Brewing Co. -- Created in homage to the ancient peoples that once inhabited Wisconsin.
10. Dead Reckoning Porter by Troegs Brewing Co. -- Unfiltered porter is full of flavorful chocolate and roasted malts.

[via DRAFT Magazine] [Photo Credit: reaperale.com]