Mashing-In News: Baltic Porter Day, PNW Craft Beer 2026
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026 — Jason Bateman turns 57 today!
Tuesday’s craft beer news pours dark and thoughtful, tracing Baltic porter reverence, Pacific Northwest brewing’s steadier next act, evolving style definitions, and the ongoing tension between sustainability ideals and what drinkers actually order when the glass hits the bar.
Peaks & Pints Goes All In on Baltic Porter Day
Peaks & Pints will celebrate International Baltic Porter Day on Saturday, January 17, with an all-day showcase of Baltic porters on tap and in curated flights, inviting drinkers to explore the dark, lager-fermented style’s rich malt depth, smooth strength, and distinctive Baltic heritage. (Washington Beer Blog)
Craft Beer’s Next Chapter: Oregon and Washington’s Most Anticipated Openings of 2026
The most anticipated new taprooms, breweries, and cideries coming to Oregon and Washington in 2026 point to a craft industry settling into a steadier phase, defined less by rapid startup growth and more by thoughtful expansions, revivals, adaptive reuse of old spaces, and business models focused on sustainability, community, and experience. (The New School)
Bend Beer History Comes to McMenamins History Pub
Author Jon Abernathy will present a History Pub talk at McMenamins’ Old St. Francis School on January 27, exploring Bend’s beer history through his book Bend Beer and reflecting on how Central Oregon’s brewing scene has evolved since its 2014 release. (The Brew Site)
Brewers Association Adds Rice Lager to 2026 Style Guidelines
The Brewers Association has released its 2026 Beer Style Guidelines, adding Rice Lager as a new standalone category and refining numerous other styles to reflect evolving consumer tastes, brewer innovation, and updated feedback from competition judges worldwide. (Brewers Association)
Why Better Beer Starts With Sensory Analysis, Not the Finished Pint
A new in-depth video course led by sensory expert Lindsay Barr of DraughtLab shows brewers how structured sensory analysis of hops, malt, and other raw ingredients—using methods like hop grinds, hot steeps, and trained tasting panels—can improve beer quality, reduce risk, and strengthen decision-making long before the finished beer is poured. (Craft Beer & Brewing)
How Orchard-Driven Cider Tells Its Sustainability Story Without Saying “Sustainability”
Small cideries are finding that the most effective way to communicate the environmental value of orchard-driven cider is through lived experiences, transparent storytelling, and exceptional product quality that connects customers emotionally to the land, farmers, and fragile ecosystems behind each glass. (Brewers Magazine)
Why Radical Sustainability Wasn’t Enough to Save Nevel Wild Ales
The rise and closure of Nevel Wild Ales reveals the harsh reality facing deeply sustainable breweries, showing how even world-class wild beer made with local, nature-driven ingredients can struggle financially when transparency, fair pricing, and ecological ideals collide with consumer habits that still prioritize taste and affordability over values. (Pellicle)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
