Mashing-In News: Mac & Jack’s Moves, Chuckanut Wins
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 — Flea turns 63 today!
The Pacific Northwest beer world is buzzing this week with stories of legacy, reinvention, and a little Halloween mischief — from Mac & Jack’s relocating its iconic brewhouse to Bremerton and Chuckanut reviving a centuries-old Polish style, to Pelican Brewing spreading its coastal wings in Rockaway Beach and Gigantic Brewing summoning Portland’s ghouls for its annual Scream & Shout Ball — proof that the craft beer spirit remains as restless, resilient, and delightfully weird as ever.
Mac & Jack’s Moves Brewing Operations to Silver City Brewery in Bremerton
Mac & Jack’s Brewing, one of Washington’s pioneering craft breweries and home of the iconic African Amber, will move its brewing operations from Redmond to Bremerton by year’s end, consolidating production with Silver City Brewery under their shared parent company, Ackley Brands — a move prompted by Redmond zoning changes and aimed at securing the brewery’s next 30 years of Pacific Northwest legacy. (Washington Beer Blog)
Chuckanut Wins GABF Silver for Reviving Ancient Polish Beer Style
Chuckanut Brewery, long celebrated for its lagers, added a rare gem to its medal haul at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival —earning silver for its Grodziskie, a centuries-old Polish smoked wheat beer once known as “Polish Champagne,” reviving a nearly forgotten style with light oak smoke, bright effervescence, and historical reverence. (Washington Beer Blog)
Downpour Brewing Closes After 11 Years, Reborn as Friends and Neighbors Brewing
After nearly 11 years, Downpour Brewing in Kingston, Washington, has poured its last pint under its founding owners, passing the torch to Friends and Neighbors Brewing, a new venture by Rob and Kathy that promises to keep the community spirit alive with local beer, live events, and the same warm North Kitsap welcome. (Washington Beer Blog)
Pelican Brewing Opens Fifth Coastal Taproom in Rockaway Beach
Pelican Brewing, one of Oregon’s most storied coastal breweries, will open its fifth location on October 17 in Rockaway Beach, transforming the former Rockaway Roastery into a cozy, beachside taproom that blends Pelican’s award-winning beer and coastal hospitality with the small-town charm of Oregon’s north coast. (The New School)
Gigantic Brewing Throws a Monster Bash: Scream & Shout Ball Returns Halloween Night
Gigantic Brewing is summoning Portland’s creatures of the night for its Scream & Shout Ball on Halloween, October 31, a raucous evening of costumes, tarot readings, DJ Love’s monster mash-ups, and prizes for the best-dressed ghouls—all for $5 at the brewery’s taproom on SE 26th Ave. (Brewpublic)
Lantern Brewing to Close North Seattle Taproom, Plans “Lantern 2.0” Revival
North Seattle’s Lantern Brewing will close its Aurora District taproom between November 8–15 after failing to renew its lease, with the community-focused brewery now searching for a new location and exploring a “Lantern 2.0” concept to carry its hyperlocal, malt-driven vision into the next chapter. (Washington Beer Blog)
Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Fresh Hop IPA Embarks on Its 800-Mile Hop Odyssey
Each fall, Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Fresh Hop IPA begins with an 800-mile pilgrimage through Washington and Oregon — a mad dash from field to fermenter — where brewers hand-select the year’s most aromatic Cascade hops and race them back to Chico and Mills River, capturing the fleeting essence of pine, citrus, and harvest magic before the clock runs out. (YouTube)
NBWA 2025: Resilience, Innovation, and the Future of Beer Distribution
The National Beer Wholesalers Association closed its record-breaking 88th Annual Convention in Las Vegas, uniting 2,800 industry leaders under the banner of “resilience through innovation,” with new Board Chair Steve Beykirch emphasizing beer’s community spirit amid a packed agenda of tech showcases, policy panels, and keynote powerhouses from Jason Kelce to Robert Herjavec. (Craft Brewing Business)
A Life in Pubs: Robert Thomas and the Soul of the British Local
From childhood cider sips in Dublin to the bohemian buzz of Soho’s French House, Remarkable Pubs founder Robert Thomas traces a life built around the joy, art, and humanity of the English pub — its aromas, architecture, and conversation — revealing how one man’s lifelong love affair with good beer and great company shaped some of London’s most characterful boozers. (Beer Insider)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
