Mashing-In News: Ghostfish Buys Pike Facility, Steinbart Homebrew Closes
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025 — Dame Judi Dench turns 91 today!
Today’s craft beer news arrives like a fresh pour at last call — expansion milestones, hard pivots, historic closures, and a new class of rising breweries all reshaping the landscape as 2025 barrels toward its finish.
Ghostfish Brewing Secures Major Expansion With Purchase of Former Pike Facility
Ghostfish Brewing has acquired the former Pike Brewery production facility in Seattle, securing a 26,000-sq-ft Georgetown brewhouse that will increase its production capacity up to sevenfold, stabilize supply for its gluten-free beers, and significantly expand its distribution footprint across North America. (Washington Beer Blog)
Woodinville’s Toll Bridge Brewing Expands Taplist with Fresh Belgian Offerings
Woodinville’s Belgian-focused Toll Bridge Brewing is rolling out the first of three new beers—starting with “Un,” a Belgian Single—marking its next growth step after a modest soft launch earlier this year. (Washington Beer Blog)
Public Coast Brewing Appoints Veteran Brewer Chad Kennedy as Operations Manager
Public Coast Brewing Co. has named longtime Oregon brewer and operations leader Chad Kennedy as its new Operations Manager, bringing two decades of brewing, compliance, and team-building experience to guide the Cannon Beach brewery’s growth and guest-focused culture. (The New School)
Locust Cider Closes Most Taprooms, Shifts Focus to Distribution
Locust Cider, facing rising operating costs and an industry-wide downturn in on-premise alcohol sales, is closing four of its six remaining taprooms to refocus on production and distribution while keeping Gig Harbor open and seeking a new partner for Fort Collins. (Washington Beer Blog)
Historic F.H. Steinbart, Oldest U.S. Homebrew Shop, Closing After 108 Years
Portland’s 108-year-old F.H. Steinbart homebrew supply institution is closing amid declining homebrewing retail, but its historic building and business are now listed for sale—offering a rare chance for a buyer to revive or reimagine the iconic space. (The New School)
Colorado Beer Sales Slump, but Industry Insiders See a Healthier Future Ahead
Colorado’s steep drop in beer consumption and wave of brewery closures reflects a maturing industry adjusting to economic pressures, changing drinking habits, and oversupply, but insiders say the breweries that innovate, refine operations, and find the right niche are poised to emerge stronger on the other side. (Colorado Public Radio)
Hop Culture Reveals 2025’s Top New Breweries
Hop Culture highlights nine standout breweries opened (or hitting their stride) in 2025—from lager-focused upstarts to award-winning saison specialists—spotlighting the fresh talent, diverse styles, and rising regional scenes defining the newest wave of American and international craft beer, including the winner of the 2025 Oregon Beer Awards Small Brewery of the Year award, Terranaut Beer, which opened in Bend in late 2024. (Hop Culture)
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