Mashing-In News: Fort George Stout Month, Strata Goes Cryo
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 — Mario Van Peebles turns 69 today!
Winter beer news leans dark, nerdy, and quietly transformative today — from Fort George’s monthlong stout blackout and McMenamins’ frost-proof festivals to hop science, soil secrets, packaging existentialism, and the slow reshaping of what we drink, how we drink it, and why it tastes the way it does.
Fort George Rings in Stout Month 2026 With 28 Days of Darkness
Fort George Brewery will launch its 17th annual Stout Month on February 1, 2026, unleashing 28 days of stout releases, events, and collaborations that culminate in the sold-out Festival of Dark Arts, celebrating dark beer in all its maximal, winter-defying forms across Astoria and the Pacific Northwest. (Washington Beer Blog)
McMenamins Launches 2026 Festival Season With Cider and High-Gravity Beer
McMenamins is kicking off 2026 with two signature winter festivals—Hillsboro’s Wassail Cider Fest celebrating orchard tradition and regional cider, and Bend’s High Gravity Brewfest pouring big, warming beers and barrel-aged standouts from across Central Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. (The Brew Site)
Does the Can Change the Beer? Belgian Ales and the Carbonation Question
A comparison between bottle-conditioned Orval and canned St. Bernardus Christmas Ale raises the question of whether lower carbonation in cans alters the balance, effervescence, and character that define Belgian ales, suggesting packaging technology itself may quietly reshape classic beer styles. (Beervana)
Strata Goes Cryo: Yakima Chief Hops and Indie Hops Expand a Modern Favorite
Yakima Chief Hops and Indie Hops have partnered to release Strata Cryo Hops, combining OSU-bred Strata’s signature passion fruit, citrus, berry, and cannabis character with YCH’s patented Cryo technology to deliver a more concentrated, efficient expression of one of craft beer’s most popular hop varieties. (Washington Beer Blog)
2025 Hop Report: Fewer Acres, Less Beer Pressure, and a Citra Exception
The USDA’s 2025 National Hop Report shows continued declines in hop acreage and overall production across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho due to oversupply and softer beer sales, with Citra growing while Cascade sharply contracts, underscoring the importance of hop contracting for brewers. (Brewers Association)
The Flavor Beneath the Vine: How Soil Shapes Hop Aroma
Terroir Tuesday Week 7 explains how soil—through organic matter, drainage, and mineral buffering—quietly but profoundly shapes hop oil concentration and aroma, showing that the same hop variety can express wildly different flavors depending on the ground it grows in, from Nelson Sauvin in New Zealand to Amarillo in Oregon. (Shan Ferments)
Boston Beer Lawsuit Puts Massachusetts Noncompete Law to the Test
Boston Beer Company is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit that could finally test Massachusetts’ murky noncompete law, challenging whether a $3,000 payout can legally replace the required “garden leave” compensation meant to protect workers barred from joining competitors. (Boston.com)
Untappd Embraces THC Drinks as Social Drinking Evolves
Untappd has expanded its platform to include THC-infused beverages, recognizing their growing role in social drinking culture and giving users tools to track, rate, and share cannabis drink experiences alongside beer and other beverages. (Untappd)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
