Nine years. That’s nine circuits around the sun, nine winters of cedar and laughter, nine summers of foam and friendship. On November 1, 2016, Peaks & Pints swung open its doors — half a day late, twice as thirsty — and Tacoma walked in grinning. Outside, Proctor smelled of rain and fresh ambition. Inside, we poured like we’d been waiting a lifetime, straight into a Green Flash + Alpine Treasure Chest takeover that roared like a baptism of hops. Craft beer itself was in its wild adolescence — bold, brash, and blissfully unselfconscious. Hazy IPAs were just beginning their reign. Pastry stouts were flirting with sin. Bitterness was still a badge of pride. And in the cooler? Legends.
Today, for our ninth anniversary, we’re resurrecting that moment — a flight that screams November 2016, a liquid time capsule of the era that built us: Belgian mastery, California precision, Oregon balance, East Coast audacity, and one unrepentant snarl from Escondido. Step into the time machine. The music is bluegrass, not metal, but the energy’s the same. Raise your glass. The past still pours beautifully. See you tonight at the party!
Peaks & Pints Ninth Anniversary Beer Flight
Brasserie Dupont Saison Dupont
6.5% ABV | Saison | Tourpes, Belgium
By 2016, Saison Dupont wasn’t just beer; it was scripture. Six decades deep into defining the farmhouse soul, it shimmered like sunlight on wheat — pepper, citrus, and wildflower harmonizing in divine simplicity. Dry as wit, effervescent as gossip, this is the ale that taught the world that “rustic” could mean transcendent. Every pour a prayer, every sip a pilgrimage.
Firestone Walker Pivo Pils
5.3% ABV | German-Style Pilsner | Paso Robles, CA
Only three years old when Peaks opened, Pivo Pils had already made minimalism punk again. Brewmaster Matt Brynildson borrowed inspiration from Italy’s Tipopils and the floral flirtation of German Saphir hops, then bottled rebellion in restraint. Crisp, dry, clean — it glowed with quiet defiance in an age obsessed with haze. In 2016, this was the beer whispering, less is more, but only if it’s perfect.
Deschutes Black Butte Porter
5.5% ABV | American Porter | Bend, OR
Long before pastry stouts stormed the taps, Black Butte Porter was already playing jazz. By 2016, it had been pouring for nearly three decades, still balancing roasted malt and chocolate in a duet smoother than Sinatra. It’s not loud, it’s not showy — it’s the beer equivalent of an unhurried nod across the bar that says, yeah, we’ve been here awhile.
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
9% ABV | Imperial IPA | Milton, DE
The Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA was the East Coast’s lupulin altar — Sam Calagione’s fever dream turned institution. Continuous hopping, caramel malt, and bitter salvation in every drop. In 2016, this beer stood like a prophet among mortals, humming pine and citrus through a malt halo. Balanced yet berserk, polished yet primal — proof that obsession, when well managed, tastes divine.
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
7.2% ABV | American Strong Ale | Escondido, CA
Arrogant Bastard doesn’t age; it endures. By 2016, it had already scrawled its manifesto on the soul of craft beer: You’re probably not worthy. Caramel malt swagger, resinous bite, and a finish like a sneer wrapped in velvet. It didn’t just teach us to drink bold — it dared us to. And somehow, nine years later, it still feels like the loudest toast in the room.
The 9th Pour
So here’s to the beers that christened our first cooler — and the drinkers who’ve kept the taps humming ever since. Peaks & Pints turns nine today, still chasing the same delirious dream: good beer, good people, wooden walls, and live bluegrass music loud enough to make your heart remember. The past isn’t gone. It’s just carbonated.
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
