Mashing-In News: Fresh Hop Awards, PNW Oktoberfests
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Friday, Sept. 12, 2025 — Nina Blackwood turns 73 today!
From Bavarian blowouts and fresh hop showdowns to high-rise patios, pioneering women’s sports bars, and even a beer can widget shaking up how hops hit your tongue, today’s craft beer news spans festivals, innovations, and community milestones near and far.
Washington Beer Awards Opens Fresh Hop and Cider Competitions
The Washington Beer Awards has opened registration for its fall Fresh Hop Beer Competition and newly launched Cider Competition, spotlighting Washington’s signature harvest beers and cider makers, with judging in October and winners announced in October and November. (Washington Beer Blog)
Oktoberfest 2025: Washington Breweries Bring the Bavarian Party
Breweries and bars across Washington are raising steins this September and October with dozens of Oktoberfest celebrations—from Chuckanut’s family-style fest and Fremont’s street party to Silver City, Ghostfish, and Ballard’s neighborhood-wide blowout—each pouring Märzens, Festbiers, and plenty of Bavarian spirit. (Washington Beer Blog)
Mt. Angel Oktoberfest Marks 60 Years With 40+ Beers
From humble beginnings in a tent, Mt. Angel Oktoberfest now pours 40+ beers across themed gartens—showcasing Oregon craft brewers, German imports, and nonstop polka-fueled revelry—celebrating 60 years as the Northwest’s biggest Bavarian beer bash. (The New School)
Seattle’s Women’s Sports Bar Grows, Honoring Columbia City Legacy
Rough & Tumble, Seattle’s trailblazing women’s sports bar, will open a second location in the historic Columbia City Ale House space, passing the torch from one woman-owned community hub to another while cementing Seattle’s reputation as the capital of women’s sports. (Washington Beer Blog)
Migration Brewing Extends Pacwest Patio in Downtown Portland
Migration Brewing has extended its Pacwest Patio pop-up in downtown Portland for another year, transforming the 3rd-floor greenspace of the Pacwest Center into a vibrant urban beer garden with craft pours, cocktails, and skyline views. (Brewer Magazine)
CAMRA Cancels 2026 Great British Beer Festival Amid Financial Struggles
Facing declining attendance, rising costs, and falling membership, CAMRA has announced the cancellation of the 2026 Great British Beer Festival—ending a nearly 50-year tradition that has long been a cornerstone of UK beer culture and a key fundraiser for the organization. (ProBrewer)
From Whiteboard to Widget: Upslope’s BevBoost Reinvents the Beer Can
Upslope Brewing founder Matt Cutter’s “hop widget” idea has grown into BevBoost, a patented two-chamber can widget that infuses hop extract at the moment of opening—launching with Hop Boosted IPA in June 2025 and promising fresher flavor, longer shelf life, and a theatrical new drinking experience that could reshape beverage packaging far beyond beer. (Brewer Magazine)
Josh Penney Brings West Coast Lager Smarts to Threes Brewing
Former Highland Park brewer Josh Penney, now leading Threes Brewing in Brooklyn, is pushing hop-forward lagers and IPAs with advanced fermentation, thiol-rich Southern Hemisphere hops, and modern hop products to create beers that explode with aroma and layered depth. (Craft Beer & Brewing)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
