Mashing-In News: Hop Selection Recap, Otherlands Breaks Rules
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Friday, Oct. 2, 2025 — Chubby Checker turns 84 today!
Today’s craft beer news blends hop fields and fresh collabs with industry deep-dives—from Yakima’s sensory harvest rituals and Oregon–Japan beer dinners, to Bellingham lager experiments, Portland IPA debuts, Hood River fall fests, and big-picture reckonings on the state and sustainability of craft brewing.
Grit & Grain Ep. 161: Inside Yakima’s Hop Selection Ritual
In Episode 161 of Grit & Grain, hosts Matt and Ron join Lucky Envelope Brewing in Yakima during hop harvest to experience the annual ritual of hop selection, rubbing cones alongside brewers from around the world, reflecting on why some breweries embrace or skip the process, and sharing their favorite varietals and highlights from a day steeped in aroma, tradition, and industry camaraderie. (Grit & Grain Podcast)
Ben Howe on Brewing Beyond the Rules at Bellingham’s Otherlands
Brewer Ben Howe, whose chef-like path wound through Denmark and Franconian lager halls before settling at Bellingham’s Otherlands, shares how he fuses tradition with rule-breaking—long boils, kräusening, high-pH mashes, and inventive water tweaks—to defy brewing dogma while still capturing authentic lager flavor. (Craft Beer & Brewing)
Von Ebert & Shred Beer Co. Drop New Collab “Super Shredder” IPA
Von Ebert Brewing has teamed up with Rocklin, California’s award-winning Shred Beer Co. to release Super Shredder, a 7.5% ABV West Coast IPA brewed with five hops for dank, diesel, raspberry, and passionfruit notes, available this October on draft and in cans across Von Ebert locations and select West Coast outlets. (Northwest Beer Guide)
Oregon and Japan Unite for Beer & Food Pairing in Portland
On Oct. 16, Portland’s Takibi will host a special Fuji to Hood Omakase Brewers Dinner, reuniting Oregon brewers and cidermakers with Japanese collaborators for a five-course omakase menu paired with small-batch, Japan-inspired beers and ciders, blending culinary tradition with cultural exchange. (The New School)
Hood River Orchard & Ale Debuts Oct. 4, Harvest Fest Follows
Hood River ushers in fall with the first-ever Orchard & Ale Festival on Oct. 4—featuring fresh-hop beers, ciders, local produce, live music, and a Salmon-Safe drinker’s choice contest—followed by the beloved Hood River Harvest Fest Oct. 10–12, both offering seasonal fun with easy transit from Portland via the Columbia Gorge Express. (The New School)
It’s Rough Out There”: Don Tse & Em Sauter on Beer’s Future
In their latest conversation, Don Tse and Em Sauter unpack the struggles facing today’s beer industry—declining sales, brewery closures, and shifting consumer habits—while spotlighting the segments and styles that are still thriving, and asking what lessons those bright spots hold for beer’s future. (All About Beer)
The Real ROI of Barrel Programs: Lessons From Modern Times to The Original 40
Drawing on his experience managing massive and boutique barrel programs, brewer Kyle Fjalstad (formerly Modern Times, now The Original 40) explains how ROI on barrel-aged beer depends on scale, space, cash flow, and consistency—where starting small, selling out, and balancing hype with discipline often prove more sustainable than chasing volume. (Pro Brewer Magazine)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
