Mashing-In News: Double Mountain Cans, Kilt Lifter Whiskey Release
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026 — Alan Alda turns 90 today!
Today’s craft beer news bounces from cans and refillables to open-air festivals and winter haze, mixing sustainability moves, deep-cut collaborations, agricultural reality checks, and just enough bear-poop absurdity to remind us it’s still very much 2026.
Double Mountain Finally Goes to Cans Without Abandoning Refillables
Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery is entering cans for the first time with Hop Lion IPA, Dry Cider, and a new Czech-style Pilsner in 12-ounce six-packs, expanding access for outdoor adventures while reaffirming its long-standing commitment to refillable glass as the most sustainable core of its identity. (The New School)
Pike and Copperworks Reunite for Kilt Lifter Whiskey Release
Copperworks Distilling and Pike Brewing will celebrate decades of shared Seattle brewing history on January 29 at Latona Pub with the release of Copperworks Kilt Lifter, a limited-edition American whiskey distilled from Pike’s iconic scotch-style ale and aged more than five years in oak. (Washington Beer Blog)
Great American Beer Festival Goes Outdoors in 2026
The Great American Beer Festival will move outdoors for the first time in 2026, relocating to Denver’s Levitt Pavilion on October 10–11 for an open-air, music-infused reimagining that blends its hallmark brewery lineup with fresh air, lawn seating, and a more immersive Colorado-style festival experience. (Brewers Association)
Columbia and Breakside Brew a Bear Poop Beer Because 2026
Columbia Sportswear and Breakside Brewery have teamed up to release Nature Calls, a limited-run craft lager brewed with Bull Run water infused with trace amounts of ethically collected American black bear poop, blending outdoor absurdity, Big Game marketing, and clean lager drinkability into one of craft beer’s most surreal collaborations yet. (The New School)
Hazy Days of Winter Returns to 5 Rights Brewing
5 Rights Brewing will turn its Marysville taproom into a midwinter tropical escape for the 7th annual Hazy Days of Winter, pouring 17 tropical hazy IPAs from top brewers across Washington, Oregon, California, and New York from January 29–31. (Washington Beer Blog)
U.S. Barley Production Hits New Lows Despite Yield Gains
New USDA data shows U.S. barley production continuing its decades-long decline, with 2025 seeded acreage hitting a record low despite modest yield gains in a handful of states, underscoring growing supply pressures for brewers and maltsters amid shrinking beer demand. (Brewers Association)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
