Mashing-In News: Year-End Stories, Skookum New Owners
GOOD MORNING, SOUTH PUGET SOUND!
Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 — Keith Richards turns 82 today!
Craft beer today balances reflection and momentum—holiday pours and founder farewells mingle with hop science, global medals, retail reckonings, and year-end lists that show how the culture keeps shifting, one pint at a time.
Firestone Walker Brings a Holiday Hang to Peaks & Pints
Peaks & Pints will host a laid-back Firestone Walker holiday hang on December 18, pouring Parabola, Anniversary Ales, rare vintage drafts, and fan favorites alongside Washington rep Kent Wetzler for an evening celebration of shared, winter-ready craft beer. (Peaks & Pints)
What Beer Drinkers Clicked in 2025: The Stories That Defined the Year
Washington Beer Blog’s most-read stories of 2025 reveal what truly captivated beer drinkers this year—from non-alcoholic beer curiosity and high-profile brewery closures to ballpark beer guides, celebrity-fueled brands, major openings, and the enduring pull of local awards and legacy institutions. (Washington Beer Blog)
Skookum Brewery Announces Ownership Transition as Founder Retires
Skookum Brewery announced an upcoming ownership transition that will send founder Ron Walcher into a well-earned retirement, celebrating his role in building a beloved Arlington community taproom with a December open-house thank-you weekend. (Washington Beer Blog)
Chinook Hops Prove Terroir Can Rewrite a Classic
Terroir Tuesday explores how Chinook hops—once known mainly as a piney, high-alpha workhorse—express dramatically different flavors around the world, with regional climate, soil, and growing conditions shifting the same variety from classic West Coast resin to pineapple-forward Midwest fruit and citrus-spiced European profiles. (Shan Ferments)
Alesong Brewing: A Decade of Barrel-Aged Precision and Quiet Excellence
Alesong Brewing & Blending, founded in 2016 outside Eugene, has built a nationally celebrated, barrel-aged and mixed-culture beer program—anchored by direct-to-consumer memberships, a scenic rural tasting room, and a decade-long GABF medal streak—while cautiously expanding into cider, wine, food, and potential in-house brewing amid shifting market pressures. (The New School)
U.S. Breweries Shine at 2025 Japan International Beer Cup
American breweries continued their global winning streak at the 2025 Japan International Beer Cup in Osaka, earning 30 medals across 22 countries of competition, with Trap Door Brewing leading U.S. winners and underscoring craft beer’s growing international influence. (Brewers Association)
John’s Marketplace to Close Beaverton Location as Craft Retail Pressures Mount
John’s Marketplace will close its Beaverton location on December 31, 2025, citing visibility issues, shifts in craft beer distribution, and rising economic pressures, while reaffirming the strength and continued investment in its Multnomah Village and Powell stores. (The New School)
Ferment Brewing Unwraps a Deep December of Barrel-Aged and Seasonal Releases
Ferment Brewing is leaning into winter with a December lineup of barrel-aged stouts, vintage bottle releases, seasonal dark and pilsner styles, and gift-ready vertical sets, all available now at its Hood River tasting room and across Oregon and Washington. (Brewpublic)
Steal This Beer Talks Lagers and Global Hops With Eckhart Beer Co.
Steal This Beer Podcast Episode 556 features Eckhart Beer Co. founders Adam Wolfe and Nick Meyer discussing their Brooklyn brewery’s lager-driven vision, global hop influences, and Czech- and German-inspired brewing approach in a wide-ranging, geeky conversation. (Steal This Beer)
Boak & Bailey Name Their Best Beers, Breweries, and Pubs of 2025
Boak & Bailey’s Golden Pints 2025 rounds up their favorite beers, breweries, pubs, taprooms, and writers of the year, celebrating standout cask, keg, and packaged beers alongside the places and people that made 2025 memorable for thoughtful, tradition-minded beer drinking. (Boak & Bailey)
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
