Mashing-In News: Grit & Grain Double Episode, Federal Hemp Beverage Ban
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025 — Ryan Gosling turns 45 today!
Today’s craft beer news pours a full flight of stories—from Grit & Grain’s double-episode recording at Peaks & Pints and Chuckanut’s Hall of Fame honor to Double Mountain’s winter return, hemp beverage battles in Congress, and the world’s top brewers gearing up for the 2026 “Olympics of Beer.”
Grit & Grain Records Two Episodes at Peaks & Pints Today
The Grit & Grain Podcast crew will turn Peaks & Pints into a full-blown fermenter of opinions and gratitude today, recording two new episodes that span the great American spectrum from beer think-pieces to turkey-time pairings. First up, in Episode 167: “Wacky Names and Silly Labels,” hosts tackle The New York Times’ latest love-hate letter to craft beer — the one claiming that goofy can art, over-hopped IPAs, and tallboys are killing the industry. Expect equal parts outrage and laughter as they dissect whether beer has truly “lost its humanity” or if the Gray Lady just tripped over a glittered sour. Then, in Episode 168: “Thanksgiving Pairings,” the crew is joined by R.J. Adler of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. for a deep pour into the history and hedonism of holiday drinking. They pair beers for every moment of the feast — from pre-game pilsners to post-pie porters — and trace Thanksgiving’s beery lineage back to the Pilgrims’ spruce brews aboard the Mayflower. (Grit & Grain Podcast)
Chuckanut Founders Mari and Will Kemper Inducted Into Washington Brewers Hall of Fame
Mari and Will Kemper, pioneering founders of Chuckanut Brewery and early trailblazers of Washington’s craft beer movement, were inducted into the inaugural Washington Brewers Guild Hall of Fame for their decades of innovation, mentorship, and global influence on lager brewing and brewpub culture. (Brewer Magazine)
Double Mountain Brings Back Hey, Porter! and Fa La La La La for Winter
Double Mountain Brewery has ushered in the season with the return of two beloved winter brews—Hey, Porter! Robust Porter and Fa La La La La Winter Ale—pairing rich roasted comfort and hop-bright holiday cheer just in time for the cold months ahead. (Brewpublic)
Federal Hemp Beverage Ban Advances in Senate Budget Bill
A federal ban on hemp-infused beverages appears imminent after the Senate passed a budget bill including language that would outlaw most hemp products containing THC, limiting total cannabinoids to 0.4 mg per container and threatening the fast-growing hemp beverage market embraced by craft brewers as an alcohol alternative. (ProBrewer)
Non-Alcoholic Beer Sales Rise as Prices Dip, But Taste Still Divides Drinkers
Average U.S. non-alcoholic beer prices have dropped nearly 2% even as sales rise, reflecting growing market interest but ongoing skepticism over high costs and middling taste, with analysts questioning whether premium-priced N/A beers like Athletic and Heineken 0.0 can sustain long-term growth beyond niche demand. (Beervana)
Registration Opens for 2026 World Beer Cup, the “Olympics of Beer”
Registration is now open for the 2026 World Beer Cup, the Brewers Association’s global “Olympics of Beer,” welcoming breweries worldwide to compete across more than 100 styles—including new Czech, Mexican, rice, tea, and West Coast pilsner categories—before winners are revealed at the 2026 Craft Brewers Conference on April 22. (Brewers Association)
Public Coast Brewing Releases Fluff N’ Good Stout Inspired by the Classic Fluffernutter
Public Coast Brewing in Cannon Beach has released Fluff N’ Good Stout, a 9% pastry stout brewed with peanut butter and freeze-dried marshmallows that channels the nostalgic sweetness of a fluffernutter sandwich, available for a limited time on tap and in cans. (The Brew Site)
2 Towns Ciderhouse’s Aaron Sarnoff-Wood on Quality, Community, and the Future of Craft Cider
2 Towns Ciderhouse co-founder Aaron Sarnoff-Wood discusses adapting to inflation by refining product mix, staying committed to fresh-pressed quality, fostering team innovation, supporting community causes, and positioning the Oregon cidery for long-term growth across cider, cocktails, and non-alcoholic craft beverages. (Brewers Magazine)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
