Mashing-In News: Pumpkin Beer Podcast, Early Harvest Fresh Hop Winners
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025 — Kevin Sorbo turns 67 today!
Today’s craft beer news balances nostalgia, innovation, and big moves: Grit & Grain goes live at Peaks & Pints to put pumpkin beer on trial, fresh hop winners are crowned in Bend, and the Brewers Association takes a hard look at how to reach Gen Z. Plus, Liz Garibay shares how beer tells the story of culture, Galaxy’s saga shows why one hop reshaped Australian brewing, and Bell’s Brewery invests $20 million to expand its future while honoring its past.
Pumpkin Beers on Trial: Grit & Grain Records Live At Peaks & Pints Today
The Grit & Grain Podcast Episode 160 records live at Peaks & Pints today, diving into the history, controversy, and culture of pumpkin beer—from colonial origins to today’s spiced spectacles—with tastings, debate, and laughter at 3:30 p.m. in Peaks’ Events Room. (Peaks & Pints)
Best of Craft Beer Awards Announce Early Harvest Fresh Hop Winners
The Best of Craft Beer Awards’ Early Harvest Fresh Hop judging crowned winners across IPA, hazy, pale, lager, and specialty categories, with standout golds for Wild Ride’s Journey to a New Strata-Sphere, Irrelevant/Great Notion’s True Love Waits, Trap Door’s Co-Hop, Lucky Envelope’s Lorien Pilsner, and Fort George/Hop Butcher’s Fresh Pierogis. (Washington Beer Blog)
How Craft Beer Can Connect With Gen Z: Authenticity Over Gimmicks
A new Brewers Association report explores how craft beer can win over Gen Z—who drink less than past generations—by leaning into authenticity, values, flavor variety, and education, while avoiding cringe marketing and outdated Millennial playbooks. (Washington Beer Blog)
Beer Culture Center Founder Liz Garibay Talks History, Society, and Beer
On the latest Drink Beer, Think Beer podcast, Beer Culture Center founder Liz Garibay discusses the center’s mission to explore history through beer, its national exhibits and Beer Culture Summit, and the launch of its first Beer History Studies Fellowship with Onteya Zachary. (All About Beer)
Galaxy: The Hop That Changed Australian Brewing Forever
Galaxy hops transformed Australia’s brewing industry from bittering to aroma-focused, sparking global demand, production challenges, and innovation—and after recent quality concerns and reinvestment, the beloved passionfruit-forward hop is regaining brewers’ trust while cementing its status as one of the world’s most influential varieties. (Pellicle)
Bell’s Brewery Announces $20 Million Expansion and Upgrades
Bell’s Brewery, Michigan’s pioneering craft brewery, will invest $20 million to expand its Comstock production facility and renovate the iconic Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo, marking a new growth phase under owner Lion while honoring its 40-year legacy. (ProBrewer)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
