Mashing-In News: Oktoberfest Northwest Turns 20, Burke-Gilman Brewing Turns 7
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Thursday, August 21, 2025 — Kim Cattrall turns 69 today!
Craft beer never sits still—it throws a four-day birthday bash in Seattle, dons lederhosen in Puyallup and Big Bear, packs up a WWII museum for a Colorado move, and still finds time to wrestle with tariffs, shifting drinking habits, forgotten styles, and college beer culture’s evolution. Here’s what’s bubbling in today’s craft beer world.
Burke-Gilman Brewing Turns 7 with a 4-Day Party
Seattle’s Burke-Gilman Brewing celebrates its 7th anniversary Aug. 22–25 with four days of karaoke, live music, $7 pints, “Smarty Pints” science talks, bratwursts, special beer releases, and the debut of new head brewer Chaz Lakip. (Washington Beer Blog)
Oktoberfest Northwest Turns 20: Washington’s Biggest Bavarian Bash Returns
Oktoberfest Northwest returns to Puyallup October 3–5, 2025, celebrating its 20th year with Bavarian food, steins of German beer, lively music, wiener dog races, and late-night parties in Washington’s largest Munich-style festival. (TheFair)
Honolulu’s Home of the Brave Brewseum Relocates to Durango
After nearly 30 years in Honolulu, the Home of the Brave Brewseum—a unique blend of WWII history and craft beer—is relocating to Durango, Colorado, where it will reopen on a ranch campus with artifacts, local brews, and immersive experiences to honor veterans’ stories. (Forbes)
10 Weekends of Steins, Sausages & Song at Big Bear Oktoberfest 2025
Big Bear Lake’s beloved Oktoberfest returns Sept. 6–Nov. 8, 2025, celebrating its 55th year with 10 weekends of steins, bratwurst, live German bands, new themed ticket options, and a chance to be voted one of the nation’s best Oktoberfests in USA Today’s 10Best poll. (Daily Press)
U.S. Tariffs Now Include Can Ends and Lids, Raising Brewing Costs
The Brewers Association is warning that the U.S. Department of Commerce has added aluminum can ends and lids to Section 232 tariffs, a move that could raise packaging costs and complicate supply chains for brewers while the BA continues to advocate for fair trade policies. (Brewers Association)
Nearly Half of Americans Now Say They Don’t Drink Alcohol
Gallup’s 2025 Consumption Habits survey shows that U.S. alcohol use has dipped to 54%—its lowest level since 1939—with younger generations increasingly viewing even moderate drinking as unhealthy. Beer still leads preferences, but consumers are spreading their choices across wine and spirits. (Washington Beer Blog)
How Kentucky Common Went From Forgotten Style to BJCP Recognition
The All About Beer podcast explores the rising interest in Kentucky Common, a once-regional style now recognized in the BJCP guidelines, highlighting its malt-and-corn sweetness, darker cream-ale character, and the broader impact of how new beer styles are added to official classifications. (All About Beer)
From Kegs to Cans: How College Beer Culture Has Evolved
Beer has shifted from the keg-fueled traditions of massive campus parties to the more personalized, convenience-driven culture of cans and craft brews, but it remains a cornerstone of student life—shaping friendships, campus rituals, and social balance while adapting to modern values of responsibility, technology, and sustainability. (American Craft Beer)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
