Mashing-In News: Skagit Farm to Pint Fest, Giant Volatile Substance
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025 — Bruce Springsteen turns 76 today!
From Skagit Valley’s farm-to-pint bounty to a 20,000-gallon IPA can in Portland, today’s craft beer news spans festivals, collaborations, and bold experiments. Chuckanut teams up with Austin’s ABGB on a Czech dark lager, Von Ebert goes larger-than-life with Volatile Substance, and hop science dives deeper into oils and thiols. Meanwhile, stories of heritage (such as Saaz hops in Žatec, as featured in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide) intersect with forward-looking initiatives (the launch of Driven Collective, Brewbound’s Pitch Slam). It’s a reminder that craft continues to honor its roots while rewriting its future—one pint, one page, one partnership at a time.
Skagit Farm to Pint Fest Returns with Beer, Food, and Music in La Conner
The Skagit Farm to Pint Fest returns to La Conner Marina on Saturday, Sept. 27, pairing 15 craft beers and ciders from local breweries with Skagit Valley chefs and producers, plus live music from Savanna Woods and The Enthusiasts. (Washington Beer Blog)
Chuckanut and ABGB Reunite for Czech Style Dark Lager Collab
Chuckanut Brewery and Austin Beer Garden Brewery have reunited to brew CBGB Czech Style Dark Lager, a roasty, toffee-tinged collaboration rooted in their shared love of award-winning lagers and long-standing friendship. (The Brewer Magazine)
Von Ebert Unveils Giant Volatile Substance IPA Can on Mississippi Ave.
Von Ebert Brewing celebrated its new Mississippi Ave. location by transforming a 20,000-gallon silo into a giant hand-painted Volatile Substance IPA can—and marked the occasion with a limited fresh hop release of the flagship beer. (Craft Brewing Business)
The Hidden World of Hop Oils: Why “Hoppy” Is More Than a Flavor
A deep dive into hop oils and thiols reveals how compounds like myrcene, linalool, and 3S4MP shape beer’s aroma and flavor, showing that hops are far more complex—and unpredictable—than simple descriptors like “floral” or “tropical” suggest. (Craft Beer & Brewing)
Saaz: The Thousand-Year Reign of the Czech Hop Queen
For over a millennium, the Czech town of Žatec has cultivated Saaz hops—“green gold” that shaped Pilsner and global lager brewing—earning UNESCO status and cementing its legacy as the queen of hops and the very definition of “hoppy” aroma. (Pellicle Magazine)
CAMRA Publishes 2026 Good Beer Guide with 900 New Entries
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has released the 2026 edition of The Good Beer Guide, a 912-page snapshot of the UK’s resilient pub and beer culture, featuring 900 new entries despite ongoing closures and economic pressures. (Beer Insider)
Aslin and Torch & Crown Merge to Launch Driven Collective
Aslin Beer Co. and Torch & Crown Brewing have merged to form Driven Collective, a bi-regional platform that unites production, distribution, and hospitality from DC to NYC, accelerating growth, creativity, and independence in craft beer. (The Brewer Magazine)
Brewbound Live Pitch Slam 2025 Opens Applications for Emerging Beverage Brands
Applications are open for the revamped Brewbound Live Pitch Slam 2025, a one-day competition in L.A. on Dec. 10, spotlighting six innovative early-stage adult beverage brands across beer, RTDs, NA, and cannabis. (BrewboundLive)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
