Mashing-In News: Beer & Cheese Pairing, Fast Fashion Speaks
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 — Kevin Kline turns 78 today!
Today’s craft beer news is a full sensory feast—from beer-and-cheese bliss with Ericka Baird and Fast Fashion’s hop-mad science in Seattle, to Westbound & Down’s GABF gold run, Põhjala’s liquid-hop breakthrough in Estonia, and the Halloween launch of Beer Gram’s AI-driven brewery revolution.
Grit & Grain Dives Into Beer and Cheese Pairing with Ericka Baird
On Episode 164 of the Grit & Grain Podcast, beer veteran and cheesemonger Ericka Baird joins the crew for an indulgent beer-and-cheese deep dive—pairing everything from Wisconsin curds to Rogue River Bleu while serving up sharp history, funk, and fondue-fueled hilarity. (Grit & Grain Podcast)
Fast Fashion’s Matt Storm and Stefano Annichiarico on Redefining Modern IPA and Lager Design
In the latest Craft Beer & Brewing podcast, Fast Fashion founder Matt Storm and head brewer Stefano Annichiarico pull back the curtain on Seattle’s most eccentric, hop-obsessed brewery—discussing everything from semi-dry hazy IPAs and New Zealand hops in lagers to why Anchovy hops aren’t what you think—revealing how Fast Fashion continues to redefine drinkability and modern IPA design. (Craft Beer & Brewing)
Brewer to Brewer: Whitney Burnside Talks Foam, Flavor, and GABF Gold with Westbound & Down’s Alex Bakken
On the latest Brewer to Brewer podcast, Whitney Burnside of Grand Fir Brewing chats with Alex Bakken, head brewer at Colorado’s award-winning Westbound & Down Brewing Co., fresh off seven GABF medals, about his journey from Hogshead to hop mastery and the fine art of building aromatic, foam-perfect West Coast IPAs. (All About Beer)
Beyond the Pellet: How Põhjala’s Nova Lux IPA Proves the Future Is Liquid Hops
Estonia’s Põhjala Brewery has reimagined the West Coast IPA with Nova Lux, replacing traditional T90 hop pellets with advanced BarthHaas products like Flex, Incognito, Spectrum, and HopAid Antifoam—achieving cleaner bitterness, brighter aroma, higher yield, and 15% greater tank efficiency while setting a new standard for sustainable, precision-driven brewing. (Brewers Journal)
Beer Gram Launches as Brewery-First Alternative to Untappd with Free Tools and AI Assistant
Launching on Halloween 2025, Beer Gram debuts as a bold new digital ecosystem for breweries—offering free digital menu boards, local social networking, and “Half Pint,” the industry’s first AI Brewery Assistant—positioning itself as a brewery-first alternative to Untappd that helps taprooms manage, market, and grow smarter. (San Diego Beer News)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
