Mashing-In News: Battery 245 Brewing, Fair Isle Knitting Circle
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 — Julia Louis-Dreyfus turns 65 today!
Tuesday’s craft beer news drifts between first pours and long memories — a coastal town finally taps its first brewery, bottle clubs reopen their secret notebooks, cider and hop water redraw the map of moderation, and old giants like Guinness remind everyone that patience, place, and a good story can still roar back louder than any trend cycle.
Warrenton Gets Its First Brewery at Last With Battery 245
Battery 245 Brewing has officially opened as Warrenton’s first-ever brewery, bringing locally rooted beer, dock-to-table seafood, and a community-focused taproom to a coastal town that waited nearly 130 years for a hometown brewery. (The New School)
Fair Isle Brewing Opens Season 7 of Its Knitting Circle Bottle Club
Fair Isle Brewing has opened memberships for Season 7 of its Knitting Circle bottle club, offering members a yearlong run of eight small-batch, farmhouse beers brewed with foraged ingredients, special barrels, and experimental techniques, plus taproom discounts and exclusive brewery experiences. (Brewpublic)
Seattle Cider Brand Sold to 2 Towns as Production Moves to Oregon
Seattle Cider Company has officially sold its brand to 2 Towns Ciderhouse, a move driven by long-term financial sustainability that will shift production to Corvallis, close Seattle-based operations and the SODO taproom by late February 2026, and carry the Seattle Cider brand forward under shared Pacific Northwest values. (Washington Beer Blog)
Dry January, Hop Water, and the Rise of Albert’s Dry Hopped Seltzer
Thinking about Dry January and alcohol alternatives, John Holl highlights Albert’s Dry Hopped Seltzer from Yakima Valley hop farm Virgil Gamache as a standout hop water–style refresher and explores its origins and the state of hop farming in a new Drink Beer, Think Beer podcast conversation with Darren Gamache. (All About Beer)
How Guinness Became Beer’s Biggest Comeback Story
Guinness’ recent surge in global sales, driven by young drinkers, social media rituals, and renewed cultural relevance, is framed as a case study in how patience, heritage, and steady brand stewardship can outlast trend cycles and turn an old brewery into beer’s most unlikely modern success story. (Beervana)
Steal This Beer Rings in 2026, Part Deux
Episode 560 of Steal This Beer kicks off the second week of 2026 with a four-host, news-driven roundtable as Augie Carton, John Holl, and the crew check in on the state of beer before returning to guest interviews next week. (Steal This Beer)
Desert Island Pubs: Nathan Wall on Community, Craft, and the One Beer He’d Save
In the latest Desert Island Pubs column, Proper Pubs MD Nathan Wall reflects on formative pub experiences from Zambia to Lincolnshire, celebrates community-driven locals and benchmark British pubs, and reveals Wrasslers Oyster Stout as the one beer he’d take with him if stranded on a desert island. (Beer Insider)
HOPWTR and Stone Brewing Team Up on IPA-Inspired Hop Water
HOPWTR has partnered with Stone Brewing to release HOPWTR Centennial Citrus, a non-alcoholic, zero-calorie hop water inspired by Stone IPA that blends Centennial, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops with functional ingredients to deliver bold, citrusy hop character without alcohol. (Northwest Beer Guide)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
