Mashing-In News: From Field to Foam, Hopworks Vancouver Closing
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Monday, August 4, 2025 — Billy Bob Thorton turns 70 today!
Today’s craft beer news is a full pour of farewells, fresh starts, and flavor trends—from hop-and-malt origin stories and all-ages taproom makeovers to brewery closures, leadership shakeups, market shifts, and fruit beer’s billion-dollar bloom.
From Field to Foam: Haas and LINC Tell Beer’s Origin Story
From the verdant whisper of Haas hops to the sun-drenched swagger of LINC malt, Grit & Grain Podcast Episode 154 lets Rikki Welz and Brian Estes unspool the dirt-to-glass alchemy of beer’s beating heart—equal parts farm sermon, sensory seduction, and agricultural love letter, served fresh from Peaks & Pints. (Grit & Grain Podcast)
After Nine Years, Hopworks Vancouver Bids Farewell
Hopworks Brewery will close its Vancouver, Washington brewpub on August 9, 2025, as part of a strategic refocus on revitalizing its flagship Portland location with an expanded menu, live entertainment, and community events after pandemic-era challenges hindered the Vancouver pub’s recovery. (The New School)
Seattle Cider Opens Doors to All Ages
The Seattle Cider Taproom in SoDo became an all-ages venue on Aug. 1, following its in-house kitchen transition and license change, creating a more inclusive, community-focused space that features cider, craft beer, and locally sourced food. (Washington Beer Blog)
Jim Koch Resumes CEO Role at Boston Beer as Spillane Exits
Boston Beer Company CEO Michael Spillane will step down on August 15, 2025, for personal reasons. Founder and Chairman Jim Koch will return to the role he held from 1984 to 2001, while Spillane will remain on the board as a non-executive director. (City Biz)
AB InBev Stock Sinks on Slumping Beer Volumes
AB InBev shares fell 11% after reporting a 2.2% global beer volume drop in Q2—driven by steep declines in Brazil and China—highlighting how slowing consumption, economic headwinds, and rising aluminum tariffs threaten the brewing giant despite solid profits. (American Craft Beer)
Fruit Beer Poised for Sweet Growth
The global fruit beer market reached $348.4 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a 2.6% annual rate to $450.4 billion by 2035, driven by younger consumers’ demand for innovative, low-alcohol, natural, and sustainable brews. Both global brands and local breweries are capitalizing on flavor creativity and eco-friendly practices. (OpenPR)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
