Mashing-In News: WA Craft Beer Summit, Kenny T. Beerman
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Monday, Nov. 3, 2025 — Dennis Miller turns 72 today!
Today’s craft beer news bubbles with change, innovation, and a few heartfelt toasts — from Grit & Grain’s live capture of Washington’s brewing braintrust at the state summit to Lauren Woods Limbach’s bittersweet farewell at New Belgium, from pFriem’s nitrogen-fueled sustainability breakthrough to MadTree’s smart-growth manifesto, and even Untappd’s bold step beyond beer that has purists and progressives alike raising an eyebrow — or a glass.
Grit & Grain Captures Voices and Vision of Washington Beer Industry at Annual Summit
Today, the Grit & Grain Podcast recorded live from the 2025 Washington Craft Beer Summit at the DoubleTree by Hilton Sea-Tac, capturing the hum of brewers, creatives, and industry leaders — including Tacoma’s own Bryson Foster of Foster’s Creative, whose “Marketing Is Dead” session sparked laughs, debate, and more than a few existential questions about what comes after the hashtag. (Grit & Grain Podcast)
Washington Beer Community Rallies for Kenny T. Beerman After Surgery
Washington beer community veteran Ken “Kenny T. Beerman” DesMarets, beloved for his decades of work in local breweries, bars, and beer sales, is recovering from major back surgery, and friends have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover his living expenses during recovery. (Washington Beer Blog)
Reuben’s, Athletic, and Best Day Redefine the Craft of Non-Alcoholic Beer
As non-alcoholic beer sales surge, brewers like Reuben’s Brews, Best Day, and Athletic Brewing are investing heavily in complex technologies — from vacuum distillation and reverse osmosis to specialized fermentation — proving that crafting great NA beer is as much science as art. (Washington Beer Blog)
Sour Beer Pioneer Lauren Woods Limbach Bids Farewell to New Belgium After 28 Years
After 28 groundbreaking years at New Belgium Brewing, legendary Wood Cellar Director Lauren Woods Limbach — architect of America’s largest wood-aged sour program and creator of icons like La Folie—is retiring, leaving behind an unmatched legacy of innovation, flavor, and fermentation artistry marked by her final beer, Lauren’s Last Word. (LinkedIn)
pFriem Pioneers Nitrogen Generation to Offset CO₂ Shortages
In the latest Master Brewers Podcast, “N₂ Generation at pFriem,” host and guests explore how pFriem Family Brewers tackled CO₂ shortages by implementing on-site nitrogen generation — a sustainability-minded innovation reshaping brewery gas use and production resilience. (Master Brewers Podcast)
MadTree Brewing Trades Growth-at-All-Costs for Smart, Sustainable Strategy
Cincinnati’s MadTree Brewing is shifting from rapid expansion to intentional, disciplined growth—focusing on profitability, smarter packaging choices, and capital restraint to ensure long-term sustainability in a volatile craft beer market. (Brewers Magazine)
How Lager Yeast Was Born: The Accidental Hybrid That Changed Beer Forever
Lager yeast — Saccharomyces pastorianus — didn’t evolve in nature but was born in 17th-century Bavarian breweries when warm-fermenting ale yeast (S. cerevisiae) hybridized with a cold-tolerant wild yeast (S. eubayanus), creating the unique microbe behind the world’s most consumed beer style. (Craft Beer & Brewing)
Untappd Expands Beyond Beer, Stirring Debate Among Loyal Users
Untappd, long the go-to app for craft beer enthusiasts, has expanded beyond beer to include cider, wine, sake, cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks—marking a major shift from beer-exclusive culture to a broader “all-beverage” platform, sparking both excitement and backlash among users. (American Craft Beer)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
