Craft Beer & Homebrewing News

New Jersey State Fair homebrew competition opens judge and steward signup

Judge and steward signup stays open until Aug. 2 as the 29th annual New Jersey State Fair homebrew competition locks in 244 entries and closes intake.

Nina Kowalski•2 min read•11:23 AM

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Pinthouse sees 2026 craft beer shift toward balance and drinkability

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Craft beer sees closures, openings, and championship wins in one week

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Wayland Brewing and Buffalo Bros open shared taproom in Lancaster

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Turtle Stack Brewery expands to Onalaska with community focus

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New brewery and restaurant could replace former K2 taproom in Penfield

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Quaff ON! Brewing closes Indiana brewery, shifts to Sun King contract brewing

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Deschutes Brewery ends Kirkland Signature beer partnership after short run

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3 Sheeps Brewing to make Wisconsin’s official 250th anniversary beer

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Industry

Pollyanna Brewing to take over former Alarmist Brewing space in Chicago

Pollyanna Brewing is moving into Alarmist’s former Sauganash taproom at 4055 W. Peterson Ave., with a Q4 2026 opening target and a first Chicago location.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Industry

Acronym Brewing Co. plans Fox Point brewery opening in late 2026

Acronym Brewing Co. is slated for Fox Point at 8000 N. Port Washington Rd., with a late 2026 opening and a plan to turn the former Northpoint Service Center into a brewery and taproom.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Recipes

How brewing water chemistry shapes flavor, mash pH, and beer style

A few water tweaks can strip out harsh bitterness, sharpen hops, and rescue a thin malt profile, often with nothing more than salts, acid, or RO water.

Jamie Taylor4m read

Industry

Stillfire Brewing opens 25,000-square-foot Smyrna taproom with 78 taps

StillFire Brewing has opened a 25,000-square-foot Smyrna taproom with 78 taps, betting big on suburban traffic near The Battery Atlanta and Truist Park.

Sam Ortega2m read

Industry

Pinthouse sees 2026 craft beer shift toward balance and drinkability

Pinthouse is treating taproom feedback as the new brew schedule, and the styles getting repeated are the ones that finish clean, not loud.

Nina Kowalski3m read

Community & Events

San Diego breweries rebound with strong medal haul at U.S. Open

Nine San Diego County breweries medaled at the 2026 U.S. Open, a rebound after a softer 2025. The contest drew thousands of entries across 180 categories.

Nina Kowalski2m read

Industry

Craft beer sees closures, openings, and championship wins in one week

Third Eye Brewing Co. became Grand National Champion in Oxford as Ohio breweries stacked 101 medals, while California's beer week and Irvine summit pointed to growth.

Nina Kowalski2m read

Industry

New Realm Brewing expands into Suffolk, Virginia

New Realm’s Suffolk buildout at Harbour View turned into a restaurant-brewery with events, jobs and a second Hampton Roads foothold.

Nina Kowalski2m read

Recipes

Why homebrewers make yeast starters before brew day

A yeast starter is the small wort step that can save a shaky pitch, but modern dry yeast often makes it unnecessary for simple beers.

Jamie Taylor3m read

Community & Events

Vermont Brewers Festival returns to Burlington with 40-plus breweries

More than 40 breweries poured at Burlington Waterfront as the Vermont Brewers Festival marked its 33rd year with three sessions and a first-ever VIP.

Jamie Taylor1m read

Industry

Whistle Hop Brewing plans second location in Chimney Rock Village for 2026

Whistle Hop Brewing is betting on Chimney Rock Village with a second taproom planned for fall 2026, adding another beer stop to the mountain corridor.

Sam Ortega2m read

Industry

Zipline Brewing shuts down production, leaving Nebraska craft beer fans stunned

Zipline killed brewing overnight, put about 18 workers out of work, and kept only Zipline Tap & Grill open as Nebraska's biggest craft name pivots.

Nina Kowalski2m read

Industry

Atwater Brewery closes downtown Grand Rapids taproom

Atwater Brewery is leaving its 201 Michigan St. NW taproom, and the Rowe building space is already listed for lease as downtown Grand Rapids loses a key beer stop.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Industry

Crooked Can surprises Minneola with Florida’s biggest brewery venue opening

Crooked Can opened its Minneola complex with hours of notice, unveiling a nearly 43,000-square-foot brewery and food hall at Hills City Center.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Industry

Hoppin’ Frog founder steps back as brewery names new president

Hoppin’ Frog handed day-to-day control to Zachary Bastin, with founder Fred Karm moving into an advisory role after 20 years at the helm.

Sam Ortega2m read

Industry

High Plains Brewing to close in Laurel after decade on Main Street

Laurel will lose its only brewery on July 25, when High Plains ends a decade on Main Street with a farewell night of live music.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Industry

Scenery Hill Brewing closes after nine years restoring historic tavern

Scenery Hill Brewing has closed in the 1827 Beck-Ringland Tavern, ending a nine-year rescue of a condemned National Road landmark now listed for sale.

Nina Kowalski2m read

Industry

Draft River Brewing to open inside Elmira’s LECOM Event Center

Draft River Brewing is betting on built-in traffic at Elmira’s LECOM Event Center, with a fall 2026 opening planned for the 3,784-seat arena.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Industry

Harding House Brewing expands in west Nashville with food, cocktails and dessert

Harding House Brewing is betting on L&L Market traffic in west Nashville. Its 3,400-square-foot taproom will pair beer with cocktails, food and dessert.

Sam Ortega2m read

Industry

515 Brewing reopens in Clive with new owners, familiar spirit

515 Brewing reopened at 7700 University Avenue with Scott and Wil Hedderich, Jason Kyte, and a rebuilt taproom aimed at keeping the Clive regulars coming back.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Recipes

How beer color is measured and why it matters in homebrewing

Beer color is a recipe target, not a guess: SRM and EBC let you tune malt, mash, and software so the glass matches the style you planned.

Jamie Taylor4m read

Industry

New breweries shift toward brewpubs and taprooms as distribution fades

New brewery openings are tilting toward taprooms and brewpubs because those models fit a tighter market better than chasing distribution. The numbers now favor places built for visits, not shelf space.

Sam Ortega3m read

Community & Events

ColdFire Brewing brings Saison Fest 2026 to Eugene's farmhouse scene

ColdFire turned its Eugene Barrel House into a farmhouse-beer destination, lining up Dupont, Fantôme and top U.S. saison brewers for two days of rare pours.

Sam Ortega2m read

Industry

Raised Grain launches LowDown, a 2.5% ABV beer lineup in Milwaukee

Raised Grain is testing whether 2.5% beer can still feel like craft, launching LowDown IPA, Hazy IPA and Lager into Milwaukee through Beer Capitol Distributing.

Nina Kowalski2m read

Industry

Oak Union Brewing lands permanent taproom and restaurant in Milwaukie

Oak Union Brewing has locked in a permanent downtown Milwaukie home, taking 2,651 square feet in the Perry’s Pharmacy Building redevelopment for a taproom and restaurant.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Industry

Southern Star Brewing to close in June after nearly 20 years in Conroe

Southern Star will pour its last pint June 28, ending nearly 20 years in Conroe and shrinking one of Houston's most familiar craft-beer names.

Sam Ortega2m read

Industry

James Watt returns with Second Best, offers equity to BrewDog backers

James Watt is offering former BrewDog backers up to 19.3% of Second Best, turning a new beer launch into a test of trust.

Nina Kowalski2m read

Recipes

BeerSmith podcast covers advanced dry hop techniques with Michael Tonsmeire

Michael Tonsmeire breaks down the dry-hop choices that actually move aroma and flavor, from timing and temperature to oxygen control and hop creep.

Jamie Taylor5m read

Recipes

How To Brew 4th Edition Practical Homebrewing Guide

This guide breaks down what John J. Palmer’s How To Brew (4th edition) covers and how you can use it to improve your homebrew practice. You’ll learn the book’s core topics, techniques, ingredients, sanitation, fermentation, equipment, mash and boil theory, recipe formulation, and troubleshooting, and concrete ways to apply them for more consistent, better beer.

Jamie Taylor4m read