Mashing-In News: Holiday Beer Events, Hopvemberfest
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025 — Christina Applegate turns 54 today!
Another busy holiday week in craft beer brings eclipsed tap takeovers, IPA showdowns, seasonal ale trails, industry shakeups, and a rush of winter festivals, all unfolding across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Dark Days of Thanksgiving Returns to Peaks & Pints
Peaks & Pints’ Dark Days of Thanksgiving returns Nov. 24–28 with an eclipse-kissed lineup of shadowy drafts, rare cellar pours, and daily dark-beer flights — a weeklong celebration of midnight-leaning brews, with the lodge closed only on Thanksgiving Day. (Peaks & Pints)
Washington’s Hopvemberfest IPA Finalists Announced
Beveridge Place Pub has announced the elite eight finalists in its annual Hopvemberfest IPA tournament, where Washington drinkers vote to crown the pub’s 2026 house IPA—an event that underscores IPA’s continued dominance as craft beer’s most influential and best-selling style. (Washington Beer Blog)
Portland’s 12 Beers of Gristmas Ale Trail Returns for 2025
Portland’s 12 Beers of Gristmas returns November 28–December 14 with 12 breweries, a holiday ale trail passport, special Gristmas parties, and prize drawings, inviting drinkers to collect stamps by sampling each brewery’s festive seasonal beer. (The New School)
Oregon’s Winter Beer Season Arrives with a Full Slate of Holiday Events
Oregon’s winter beer season is packed with holiday ale trails, dark-beer celebrations, barrel-aged showcases, craft markets, charity brewfests, and community-driven events from late November through January, offering beer lovers a full guide to festive drinking statewide. (The New School)
TTB Details Backlog-Clearing Plan After Shutdown
The TTB has outlined its plan to clear the post-shutdown backlog—boosting staff, streamlining reviews, and urging brewers to tidy up and finalize their submissions—in an effort to restore normal processing times as quickly as possible. (Brewers Association)
ASBC and CIBD Announce Joint 2026 Brewing & Distilling Conference in Seattle
The American Society of Brewing Chemists and the Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers will co-host a joint global conference in Seattle on August 17–19, 2026, uniting brewing and distilling professionals for three days of innovation-focused scientific programming. (ProBrewer)
Siebel Institute to Relocate From Chicago to Montreal in 2026
The Siebel Institute of Technology, the oldest brewing school in the Americas, will relocate from Chicago to Montreal on January 1, 2026, citing rising U.S. operational costs and international visa barriers while aiming to strengthen its global brewing education programs alongside Lallemand’s new training facilities. (Washington Beer Blog)
New England Craft Brew Summit Marks 10 Years With Russian River Keynote
The New England Craft Brew Summit will celebrate its 10th anniversary on March 6, 2026, with Russian River’s Natalie Cilurzo delivering the keynote as the region’s flagship industry conference continues to grow alongside Maine’s booming craft beer sector. (BrewerMagazine)
Punch Cigars Launches Holiday Pick ’Em Sweepstakes for Beer Drinkers
Punch Cigars is celebrating the holiday season with its “Merry Punchmas” promotion, encouraging beer lovers to pair cigars with their favorite brews while entering a weekly Pro Football Pick ’Em sweepstakes for prizes like mini fridges and pint glasses, available to U.S. participants who check in any beer between November 27 and December 27. (Untappd)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
