Mashing-In News: The Tao of Manny & Josh, Meet Thora
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025 — Christopher Lloyd turns 87 today!
Today’s craft beer news spans the cosmos and the cellar—from Japan’s first space-brewed beer and Thora’s thunderous new hop debut to Dogfish Head’s triple-decade stout, Samuel Adams’ record-shattering Utopias, and a philosophical IPA experiment from Georgetown and pFriem—a week where brewing’s past, present, and future all raise a glass to imagination without limits.
The Tao of Manny & Josh: Georgetown and pFriem Brew the Same Beer, Differently
Georgetown Brewing and pFriem Family Brewers have joined forces for The Tao of Manny and The Tao of Josh, a dual collaboration experiment in which both breweries brewed the exact same West Coast IPA recipe—featuring Mosaic, Citra, Nelson, Nectaron, and Krush Cryo hops—to explore how place, process, and brewing “juju” shape the final beer, with coordinated release events beginning October 22–30 across Washington and Oregon, including Peaks & Pints tomorrow. (Washington Beer Blog)
Meet Thora: The New Public Hop Bringing Thunder to American Brewing
The Hop Quality Group (HQG) and USDA-ARS have unveiled Thora, a new public, IP-free hop variety named after the Norse god of thunder—boasting explosive tropical aromas of passionfruit, guava, grapefruit, and stone fruit driven by exceptionally high thiol levels—marking one of the most aromatic and brewer-driven hop releases in U.S. history. (Washington Beer Blog)
Dogfish Head Marks 30 Years with Triple Decadence World Wide Stout
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Dogfish Head has unveiled Triple Decadence World Wide Stout, a 15% ABV blend of three barrel-aged threads—Palo Santo, Let’s Get Lost Whiskey, and Utopias barrels—honoring three decades of off-centered innovation with rich notes of wood, whiskey, vanilla, and caramel in a smooth, cellar-worthy stout. (Dogfish Head)
Samuel Adams Reaches 30% ABV With Record-Breaking Utopias 2025
Samuel Adams has unveiled Utopias 2025, the 14th and most ambitious edition of its legendary barrel-aged ale—clocking in at 30% ABV, the strongest in the beer’s 24-year history—blending vintages aged up to 30 years in whiskey, port, cognac, and scotch casks to deliver a complex, spirit-like beer so potent it’s illegal in 15 states and priced at $240 per bottle. (Northwest Beer Guide)
Pure Project Expands 2026 Cellar Cyndicate with Nationwide Shipping via Tavour
San Diego’s Pure Project Brewing is expanding access to its coveted 2026 Cellar Cyndicate bottle club by partnering with Tavour to offer a new non-local membership option, allowing craft beer fans nationwide to receive the brewery’s rare barrel-aged stouts and sours via direct shipping—while maintaining its local pickup perks and community-focused experience in San Diego. (All About Beer)
Brews to Barns: Brewers Push Tax Credit to Turn Spent Grain Into Farm Gold
The Brewers Association is proposing a “Brews to Barns” state tax credit that rewards breweries for donating spent grain—the 20 billion pounds of brewing byproduct produced each year—to farmers as livestock feed or compost, turning brewery waste into agricultural value while supporting small brewers, lowering farm costs, and cutting methane emissions. (Brewers Association)
Cider’s Long Game: Andrew Perez Urges Strategic Patience on Shipping Laws
Highpoint Cider co-founder Andrew Perez says broad reform of cider’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping laws remains a slow climb—hampered by economic strain, entrenched distribution rules, and tax disparities—but argues that coordinated, compliance-first advocacy could lay the groundwork for gradual, state-by-state progress toward fairer access. (Brewer Magazine)
Isekado Brewery to Brew Beer in Space: Japan’s First Fermentation Mission Aboard the ISS
Japan’s Isekado Brewery is launching an unprecedented “Space Brewing Project,” sending its yeast aboard the International Space Station in partnership with Takazago Electric and Toyo Seikan to study fermentation in microgravity—paving the way for future space food production and a limited-edition “space beer” brewed back on Earth. (Tokyo Weekender)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
