Six Pack: Beer Buzz of the Week: Star Trek Brew

Source: Star Trek

Six things that have consumers buzzing in the world of beer, wine and spirits this week:

1. Craft Beer Drinkers by the Numbers: This week marked American Craft Beer Week, a week long celebration of the craft beer industry, put on the map by the Brewers Association. To mark the occasion, Market Research firm Mintel released some data from several of its recent beer reports that sheds light on the typical craft beer consumer.

Among the findings, seasonal offerings are a big part of purchasing decisions, with 84 percent of craft beer consumers likely to choose their beer depending on the season.

The growth in the craft space also is being driven by the Millennials, 49 percent of which say craft beer appeals to them. That compares with 40 percent of Gen Xers, 29 percent of Baby Boomers and 22 percent of the Swing Generation/World War II generation.

2. Beaming Up A Brew: Star Trek fans are known for their rabid fandom. The same can often said for beer lovers. Now for the first time, the two worlds are about meet. DeLancey Direct has created Vulcan Ale, an Irish Red Ale, which is the first "officially licensed alcoholic beverage" of Star Trek. But bad news for U.S. Trekkies? Right now it will only available in Canada.

3. Grateful Brew: Delaware's Dogfish Head Craft Brewery recently announced it would be creating a collaboration beer with the Grateful Dead. In order to make fans part of the process, the brewery asked for suggestions—with a story why— for the final ingredient to be used in the brewing process. The winning ingredient, granola, was announced this week. Named American Beauty, the Imperial Pale Ale is expected to be released in October.

Source: Dogfish Head Brewery

American Beauty IPA

4. MIT Officer Memorial Beer: In the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombings, the Boston-area beer community immediately stepped up in a variety of ways to help raise money for those affected. The latest effort comes from Cambridge Brewing, which is creating a beer in honor of slain MIT officer Sean Collier. Named Collier Stout, the beer will sell for $5.50, with $1 from each sale going to the Jimmy Fund, which has established a memorial fund in Collier's honor.

5. Santa Fe Brewing and Distributor Team Up: One of the most crucial relationships for a brewer is with its distributors. Now Santa Fe Brewing and Central States Beverage are joining forces in what is billed as the "first ever brewer/distributor collaboration beer." The beer will be brewed at the Santa Fe Brewing, packaged in kegs and sold exclusively in the Kansas City Market later this year.

6. Good to Glow: Rogue Ales and Spirits will once again be releasing glow-in-the-dark bottles for Halloween and the Day of the Dead. Receiving the glow-in-the-dark treatment will be its 22-ounce bottles and 64-ounce growlers of Dead Guy Ale, plus 750-milliliter bottles of Dead Guy Whiskey. The bottles will be available in September and October only. Rogue will also be releasing glow-in-the-dark Dead Guy T-shirts, hats and yo-yos at the rogue.com online store.

-By CNBC's Tom Rotunno. Follow him on Twitter @TomRotunno

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