Mashing-In News: PNW Brewery Showdown, Robyn Schumacher Podcast

GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!

Friday, April 3, 2026 — Eddie Murphy turns 65 today!

Good morning, South Puget Sound—today’s craft beer news swings from bracket-busting brewery battles and hop-world breakthroughs to pilsner plot twists, ballpark beers, and the quiet, stubborn math of an industry learning how to bend without breaking.

Tournament of Beer Returns with PNW Brewery Showdown

Peaks & Pints launches its 2026 Tournament of Beer: Best PNW Breweries, a 64-brewery, fan-driven bracket celebrating the people, places, and taproom culture behind the Pacific Northwest’s most beloved breweries. (Peaks & Pints)

Grit & Grain Talks Leadership with Robyn Schumacher

Grit & Grain Podcast Episode 184 spotlights Stoup Brewing co-founder and Washington Brewers Guild president Robyn Schumacher, tracing her journey from biology teacher to influential craft beer leader, shaping community and industry in Washington. (Grit & Grain Podcast)

Celeste Hop Debuts with Bright Tropical Promise

West Coast Hop Breeding has launched Celeste™, a new Oregon-developed hop variety combining strong disease resistance with vibrant passion fruit, honeydew, and pine aromatics, already gaining praise from brewers across multiple styles. (The New School)

Columbus Hop Stages a Dank, Complex Comeback

Columbus hops—long a backbone of American IPA—are making a comeback as brewers rediscover their complex dank, resinous character while navigating challenges like sulfur-driven off-notes through careful harvest timing and lot selection. (ShanFerments)

Craft Beer Still Scores at T-Mobile Park in 2026

T-Mobile Park’s 2026 season offers a strong, more streamlined craft beer lineup with accessible value options and a wide range of regional favorites, reinforcing Seattle as one of the better beer experiences in Major League Baseball. (Washington Beer Blog)

Fort George Launches Vortex Month with Five IPA Variants

Fort George Brewery is celebrating 2026 Vortex Month with five limited Vortex IPA variants, collaborations, and events across the Northwest honoring its longtime flagship beer. (The New School)

Fair Isle Brewing Returns to Oregon Market

Seattle’s Fair Isle Brewing has returned to Oregon and expanded into Southwest Washington through self-distribution, reconnecting with the region while growing its presence with mixed-culture farmhouse beers. (Brewpublic)

Pelican Brewing Drops Spring Collab Lager and Triple IPA

Pelican Brewing has released two spring beers—a collaborative lager with Grand Fir called Mr. Lager’s Neighborhood and the bold Overboard Triple IPA—both now available across the Pacific Northwest. (Brewpublic)

Fremont Brewing Drops Two Bold Spring Releases

Fremont Brewing has released two limited spring beers—Kush IPA, a terpene-enhanced hop-forward IPA, and Orange & Cacao, a rich barrel-aged stout cuvée layered with citrus and chocolate. (Northwest Beer Guide)

Double Mountain Releases Estate Cider Eleanor

Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery has released Eleanor, a limited Golden Russet estate cider made from fruit grown at its own Swihart Orchards, showcasing the depth and character of Hood River Valley apples. (Brewpublic)

Trumer Brewery Closes as Firestone Walker Takes the Helm

Trumer’s Berkeley brewery is closing as Firestone Walker acquires the Trumer Pils brand and moves production to Paso Robles, ensuring the influential craft pilsner continues under new stewardship. (Washington Beer Blog)

Ale-Paca IPA Celebrates Tualatin Valley Tap Season

Ale-Paca IPA is a collaborative West Coast IPA brewed by Binary Brewing and 14 Oregon brewers to celebrate Tualatin Valley’s Tap Season, delivering balanced tropical, herbal, and citrus-driven flavors. (The Brew Site)

Medal-Winning Brewers Share Secrets to Perfect Helles

Award-winning brewers say crafting a world-class helles relies less on strict tradition and more on meticulous process, high-quality German ingredients, and disciplined attention to detail at every stage. (Craft Beer & Brewing)

Beer Shipments Tick Up in February, Hint at Recovery

U.S. domestic beer shipments rose 2 percent in February 2026 to 10.2 million barrels, signaling a modest rebound from January’s decline even as year-to-date volumes remain down 4.7 percent. (PreBrewer)

LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory