Mashing-In News: Elysian Pumpkin Fest, Farmtoberfest
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 — John Stamos turns 62 today!
From pumpkin kegs in Seattle to puppies and pints in Mount Vernon, Sasquatch-themed homebrewers in Idaho to UK awards in London, today’s craft beer news pours out festival announcements, milestone celebrations, industry challenges, and even soup spiked with PBR.
Over 60 Seasonal Beers Await at Elysian’s Pumpkin Fest
Seattle’s Great Pumpkin Beer Festival returns Oct. 3–4 at Elysian Capitol Hill Brewery with more than 60 seasonal beers, live music, food trucks, and its signature tradition: tapping a massive pumpkin keg filled with beer. (Elysian Brewing)
Raise a Glass: Farmstrong Brewing Toasts 10 Years at Farmtoberfest
Farmstrong Brewing is celebrating its 10-year milestone with Farmtoberfest 2025 on Sept. 20 in Mount Vernon—featuring music, games, adoptable puppies, a NOAH Center fundraiser, and community fun from noon until evening. (Farmstrong Brewing)
Inaugural Inland Northwest Homebrewers Festival Set for September in Idaho
The Inland Brewers Unite homebrew club of Spokane is launching the inaugural Inland Northwest Homebrewers Festival, a Sasquatch-themed gathering from September 19 to 21 at Farragut State Park in Idaho. The event will unite regional homebrew clubs through camping, beer sharing, and competitions, including a Cascadian Dark Ale keg contest. (Washington Beer Blog)
2025 Brewers Choice Awards Shortlist Announced in London
The 2025 Brewers Choice Awards shortlist—honoring standout breweries, beers, and industry leaders across categories such as Brewer of the Year, Beer of the Year, and Sustainability Champion—has been announced in London, with winners set to be crowned this September; the competition is UK-only, showcasing the best of Britain’s brewing scene. (Brewers Journal)
Rising Water Costs Push Irish Breweries to the Brink
Irish independent breweries are facing mounting closures as rising input costs, post-pandemic pressures, and a looming 9.8% hike in water charges threaten their survival—already forcing Killarney Brewing & Distilling and Black Donkey Brewery to shut down and prompting industry leaders to warn the increases are “simply unsustainable” for beer businesses. (The Drinks Business)
Australia: The Bar That Made Canberra Craft Cool
Canberra’s craft beer hub, To All My Friends, led by longtime steward Paul Docherty, has become a neighborhood institution celebrated for its rotating taps, educational beer events, and community-driven approach, cementing its place alongside BentSpoke, Capital, and Cypher in shaping the capital’s thriving beer scene. (The Crafty Pint)
The Death (and Possible Rebirth) of the Beer Bar
Chicago publican Michael Roper’s 2018 warning has come true—taprooms have siphoned customers from once-vital craft beer bars like his Hopleaf and Denver’s Falling Rock, leaving the curated beer bar model in decline and calling for a new generation of thoughtful, small-scale curators to revive variety and community in beer culture. (All About Beer)
Soup Meets Suds: Campbell’s Chunky & PBR Launch Beer-Infused Soups
Campbell’s Chunky and Pabst Blue Ribbon have teamed up to launch two Walmart-exclusive beer-infused soups—Beer Cheese with Potatoes & Chorizo and Beef, Bacon & Beer Chili with Beans—blending hearty comfort food with the malty flavor of PBR, alongside a nationwide food truck sampling tour starting September 3. (USA Today)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
