Mashing-In News: Renton Reinheitsgebot, Craft Beer Meets Butcher
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Friday, August 8, 2025 — The Edge turns 64 today!
Today’s craft beer report pours a full glass of global trends, bold innovation, and small-town excellence—from Renton’s Four Generals mastering German styles on the Grit & Grain Podcast to Schilling’s carbon-neutral cider, Sierra Nevada’s hazy celebration, and Fat Tire’s $100K dream-funding contest.
Four Generals Brewing on Grit & Grain Podcast
On Episode 155 of the Grit & Grain podcast, the family behind Renton’s Four Generals Brewing shares how their dedication to traditional German styles like Altbier and Kölsch—and a playful approach to the Reinheitsgebot—earned them a World Beer Cup silver and growing acclaim in Washington’s lager scene. (Grit & Grain Podcast)
Craft Beer Meets Butcher at Bend’s New Way West
Bend Brewing Co. and Sisters Meat & Smokehouse will team up on The Way West, a new bar and butcher concept anchoring the controversial Jackstraw development in Bend, Oregon—bringing craft beer, smoked meats, and community spirit to a high-end mixed-use project that’s sparked both excitement and criticism. (The New School)
Schilling’s Mango Cider Goes Carbon Neutral
Schilling Cider has made its top-selling Excelsior Imperial Mango the brand’s second Climate Neutral cider—offsetting 105% of its carbon emissions and furthering Schilling’s industry-leading sustainability efforts through carbon reduction and offset projects with Tradewater. (Craft Brewing Business)
TapRoom’s Daniel Cady Talks Hops and Inspiration on Drink Beer, Think Beer
On the latest Drink Beer, Think Beer podcast, Daniel Cady of TapRoom Brewery discusses how his evolving approach to hops keeps both his brewing process inspired and his San Diego customers coming back for more. (Drink Beer, Think Beer)
Fat Tire Wants to Fund Your Dream With $100K
Fat Tire is offering $100,000 to one lucky dreamer—plus beer for a year to ten others—in a new contest inviting bold, heartfelt, and creative pitches for how they’d “flip the script” on life if given a year off and the funds to chase their dream. (American Craft Beer)
Beer by the Numbers: Russia Rises, U.S. Slumps, Africa Surges
Global beer production remained nearly steady in 2024—down just 0.3%—despite economic headwinds, with Russia surpassing Germany as the world’s fifth-largest beer producer and Africa emerging as the fastest-growing beer market, according to the newly released BarthHaas Report. (The New School)
Sierra Nevada Drops Nitro Little Thing IPA for Hazy IPA Day
Sierra Nevada Brewing will celebrate National Hazy IPA Day with its “Hazy Little Happening” event series from August 18–23, featuring hazy beer flights, a new limited-release Nitro Little Thing IPA, and live music at the Chico brewery. (Action News Now)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
