Mashing-In News: Oregon Beverage Collective, Zwickelmania 2026
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 — Ice-T turns 68 today!
Today’s craft beer news moves from Central Oregon collaboration and statewide open-house energy to legacy barleywine celebrations, global industry pivots, rare releases, evolving NA branding, brewer education opportunities, and the technical conversations quietly shaping what ends up in your glass next.
Five Bend Producers Form Oregon Beverage Collective
Crux Fermentation Project has been acquired by the Rhine family behind Cascade Lakes Brewing to help launch the new Oregon Beverage Collective — a collaborative alliance with Cascade Lakes, GoodLife Brewing, Silver Moon Brewing, and Tumalo Cider aimed at sharing resources, stabilizing costs, and preserving Central Oregon’s independent craft beverage scene. (The New School)
Zwickelmania 2026 Opens Brewery Doors Across Oregon
Zwickelmania returns Feb. 21, 2026 as a statewide Oregon Brewers Guild open house with more than 50 breweries offering tours, zwickel samples, special releases, and behind-the-scenes experiences across Portland, the coast, Central Oregon, the Gorge, Eastern Oregon, and the Willamette Valley. (Brewpublic)
Horse Brass Launches Old Tavern Rat Barleywine Month
Portland’s historic Horse Brass Pub celebrates its 50th year with the month-long Old Tavern Rat Barleywine Invitational, running Feb. 16 through March 15 and featuring rotating weekly barleywine flights, collectible passports, and a rare Anchorage Brewing reward pour honoring the legacy of publican Don Younger. (The New School)
Brewdog Seeks Investors as Sale Talks Begin
Facing ongoing financial pressure and a challenging global beer market, Scottish craft beer giant Brewdog has hired consultants to explore new investment or a potential sale, signaling a major turning point for one of craft beer’s most high-profile brands as it restructures for long-term stability. (BBC)
Sierra Nevada Drops Rare Narfoot, Expands West Ghost IPA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has released Bourbon Barrel-Aged Narfoot — a limited Trip in the Woods blend of BBA Narwhal and Bigfoot available only through its Chico and Mills River gift shops and online store — while also expanding its once taproom-exclusive West Ghost IPA into year-round distribution in select markets. (Northwest Beer Guide)
Lagunitas Rebrands Hoppy Refresher Around Beer Culture, Not Wellness
Lagunitas is repositioning its Hoppy Refresher not by changing the recipe but by reframing it as a craft-driven brand extension for beer lovers seeking non-alcoholic options, using a “Wet January” mindset and clearer beer-aligned packaging to solve consumer confusion rather than chase generic wellness trends. (Brewers Magazine)
Falconer Foundation Opens 2026 Brewing Scholarships
The Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, in partnership with the Seibel Institute, is offering two full-tuition scholarships — each with a $1,500 travel stipend — for West Coast brewers and homebrewers to attend the intensive World Brewing Academy Concise Course in Brewing Technology in Montreal this October, with applications due April 22, 2026. (Brewers Magazine)
Brewer to Brewer Podcast Tackles Hop Creep and NA Stout Innovation
In a new Brewer to Brewer Podcast episode, Prizm Brewing’s Antoine Kerrec chats with Moersleutel’s Rowan van Dijk about tackling hop creep, developing a non-alcoholic stout, and the technical challenges shaping modern brewing. (All About Beer)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
