It's tough to find positive news when looking at beer and brewery stats right now.  New permit applications are down, beer festivals are on the decline, and we've all seen the closures of some of our favorite breweries this year.However, there's a small ray of hope for Anchor Brewing after announcing their closure last week.  A few investors have stepped forward to express their interest in buying the brewery.  Two have said they'll keep things small and focused to start, and one wants to make the relaunch a reality TV show.  Oof.Beer Festival BustSpeaking of beer fests... Some of the biggest festivals in the country are on hiatus, or cancelled.  Folks just don't seem to be as in to them as they used to be.  With that country's largest festival, Great American Beer Fest, coming up soon all eyes are on the turnout there.  We think it may not be beer fests as much of the type of fests, with a preference for smaller, specialized events.  What do you think?On the science front, Omega Yeast Labs has found the gene responsible for bringing the haze to your hazies.  They're calling it HZY1.  After comparing yeast strains that produce hazier beers and isolating this gene, they've got the magic formula.  We'll have to wait to see what this may mean in the future.Beer Cocktails on the riseSurvey says more people are trying beer cocktails these days, or they're expressing an interest in trying them.  For now, the research is on gateway cocktails like beeritas, shandies, and radlers.  But once they're through the gate who knows what may happen.For our Midwest listeners, have you had Red Beer?  Is it still a thing?  My dad drank "Tomato Beers" back in the day but I just thought it was a crazy thing he did.  Google says this beer cocktail is still pretty popular in the region.  Pops was a trendsetter.Beers of the WeekAnchor Steam BeerSierra Nevada Flipside (Red IPA, Fan Favorites Pack Re-release)Deschutes Black Butte XXXV (Imp. Porter w/ Cherries, Cocoa, & Vanilla)Homebrew SchwarzbierDrowned Valley Mexican Lager with LimeEl Segundo Smooth Deep BluesGöller LagerRAR Saving Astoria - Gose with tangerine and blood orangeJack’s Abby Post Shift PilsnerSourceshttps://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/save-anchor-steam-18199818.phpThanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSSFollow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!