The two new beers are Fresh Hop Hazy IPA and Peach Sour, and you can check out the new label designs in the pictures above and below. It’s a pretty minimalist style, relying heavily on color to differentiate the brands, and a solid font choice in the beer names that do stand out in my opinion, though I haven’t seen these on the shelves yet. Here’s another example from Instagram.

Details from the press release:

Oregon Coast brewery commemorates decade of brewing with updated packaging design and new sour and IPA

Public Coast Brewing Co. has announced a new label design for its canned beers as part of its year-long 10th anniversary celebration, as well as the addition of two new limited-edition beers: the Peach Sour and Fresh Hop Hazy IPA.

“With our 10th anniversary, we thought it would be the perfect time to launch a new label design,” said Ryan Snyder, owner of Public Coast Brewing Co. “Ten years of serving the Cannon Beach community represents a significant milestone, and we wanted to introduce a refreshed yet familiar look for our cans as we enter the next decade, while staying true to our original branding. For decades, our family dreamed of opening a brewery in our hometown of Cannon Beach, Oregon. We wanted it to feel laid-back and welcoming—built for the people. No pretension, just hard work, creativity, good times, and great-tasting beer.”

The new design reflects the creativity, quality, and spirit of adventure that define Public Coast’s mission: to celebrate a forever free place, belonging to the people of Oregon and all who come to frolic. The updated visuals also pay tribute to the natural beauty of the Oregon Coast, its diverse marine life, and Cannon Beach’s most iconic landmark, Haystack Rock.

The label redesign, new logo, and overall brand refresh were all a collaborative effort between Megan McGinley and Max Erdenberger at Central Office in Portland, and illustrator Bethany Ng.

As Public Coast Brewing Co. continues its 10th anniversary celebration, the brewery is also introducing two new limited-edition seasonal beers that will be available in the newly designed cans.

The Peach Sour is a fruit-forward beer made with peaches from the Willamette Valley, featuring a touch of tartness. At 6.5% ABV, the sour finishes like biting into a freshly picked peach rather than an artificial syrup.

The Fresh Hop Hazy IPA has a 7.1 ABV and is brewed with Magnum and Cascade hops grown at Public Coast Farm. Magnum hops bring a clean, peppery bitterness that helps balance the beer, while Cascade adds the bright, floral-citrus character the Pacific Northwest is known for.

The Peach Sour, Fresh Hop Hazy IPA, and the rest of Public Coast’s beverages are available in the newly designed 16 oz cans for purchase at the Cannon Beach brewpub and select retail stores.

To purchase Public Coast’s 10th anniversary merch, please visit: https://publiccoastgoods.shop/collections/10-year-anniversary-series

You might remember I’d received and reviewed the Mixed Pack last year as well; this year’s features two of the core beers that were present last year, and two newer ones: Union Jack IPA and Firestone IPA for the cores, and Easy Jack IPA and the new Electric Eagle West Coast IPA.

One thing I noticed is the revamped branding for Union Jack and Firestone IPA; the company is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and refreshed the brand and packaging to tighten it up for a more current look while retaining the essential elements. If you compare the photos below with those from last year you’ll see what I mean.

Since I’ve already reviewed three of the four beers in this Mixed Pack at various times, I’ll just post a few quick notes on each. Electric Eagle is new, so I have more a more detailed review on that one below. Let’s check them out.

Union Jack West Coast IPA

The first thing I noticed is that Union Jack is now branded as a West Coast IPA on the label; not that it wasn’t already styled as such before, it’s just more front-and-center now. It’s Firestone Walker’s flagship beer, eminently drinkable. It’s 7% ABV with 70 IBUs, and brewed with Simcoe, Chinook, and Centennial hops.

My notes: The classic Firestone Walker IPA, with notes of pine, forest floor, mellow citrus, and a touch of mint in the nose. The flavor is rich and balanced, with a clean herbal-green bitterness complementing the toasty malt and cereal flavors. The hops play well here in flavor as well as bitterness, giving broiled grapefruit, pine needles with light pine resin, and a nice savory herb character that has a culinary sensibility to it. It’s quite good, with a long hoppy finish.

Firestone IPA

The company still calls this “California IPA” though the branding has since dropped “California” from the label from when I reviewed it last year. With 6.5% ABV and 44 IBUs, this IPA was developed as a “future-forward beer” with newer hop varieties than Union Jack: Mosaic, Strata, and Citra.

My notes: Woody and herbal hop aroma with notes that remind me of dried alfalfa (grassy notes); a bit grainy with wheat chaff as well. The hop flavors are similar, a bit woody with forest floor notes and moderate bitterness. The malt flavor is both toasty and neutral with maybe a hint of grainy spiciness like rye. There’s a bit of menthol or minty character to the hops which I notice more in the finish, lingering.

Easy Jack IPA

I actually reviewed this one in the spring, it is essentially a session IPA with 4.2% ABV. Easy Jack is exclusive to the Mixed Pack, and is brewed with Mandarina, Mosaic, and Citra hops.

My notes: It’s floral with aromatic notes of tangerine and orange, a blend of juice, orange blossom, and spicy citrus oil. There’s a bit of herbal character in the nose as well, light rosemary perhaps. The flavor is a bit light on the malt with a woody bitterness that’s just a touch too much, too herbal, borderline astringent, even. It’s herbal-dank and has a long, lingering bitterness into the finish. There’s a pleasant grainy malt flavor underneath the hops, and the body is medium-light to medium in mouthfeel. It could use a bit more balance in my opinion.

Electric Eagle West Coast IPA

The newest beer in the Mixed Pack, Electric Eagle, is a collaboration with Ernie Ball, a manufacturer of guitar strings and accessories. Brewed in the style of a West Coast IPA, it has 7% ABV with 40 IBUs, and Firestone Walker has more about the beer on their site:

At Firestone Walker, we’re not just beer lovers; we’re also avid musicians and music fans. So we’re thrilled to partner with our friends at Ernie Ball, located down the road from us on the California Central Coast, to brew “Electric Eagle” a limited-release West Coast IPA bursting with hop flavor and a west-coast attitude.

Electric Eagle is a West Coast IPA brewed with Mosaic, Simcoe, Nelson Sauvin, and Riwaka hops. A lean base of pilsner malt, wheat, and rice keeps things clean and relatively dry in the finish for a big IPA. The aroma pops with notes of berry, tangerine, and papaya, with just a hint of crackery malt to round things out. This is a lean IPA that’s all about punchy hop flavors with enough body to support.

Appearance: Golden color with a fair amount of haze to it for a WC IPA. Finely bubbled white head.

Smell: Stone fruit (peach, nectarine) along with some tobacco, wet leaves, and a dank note. Some lighter malty notes that are reminiscent of wheat, perhaps oats.

Taste: A spicy, zesty hop flavor up front that lays down a strip of bitterness on the back of the tongue. It has a light, crisp body with a bit of wheat, a bit of toasted cereal, and there’s a light creaminess to it as well as some nuttiness; wild rice? The bitterness lingers, slightly oaky and woodsy.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body, crisp and clean malt, clean but lingering bitterness into the finish.

Overall: It’s drinkable and pleasant, almost a cross between a West Coast and a hazy IPA.

Typically, accruing enough “stamps” qualifies you for a prize, and if you visit all nine stops on the Dive Bar Crawl, you’ll qualify.

You can sign up and use the passport itself here.

There are currently nine locations on the Crawl, which include:

• Tom’s Peacock Bar & Grill
• Squirrels Tavern
• The Bière Library
• Clodfelter’s Public House
• Suds & Suds
• Tommy’s 4th Street Bar & Grill
• Harrison Bar & Grill
• China Delight Restaurant and Lounge
• Meet’n Place Tavern — this is located in the neighboring city of Philomath

I wrote a post about the Dive Bar Crawl early in the summer after I learned about it. This fall, I received an invite for a guided tour of the Crawl, hosted by Visit Corvallis, along with a number of other beer, drink, and travel related writers from around the state. The media trip included an overnight stay and covered food and drink at the various stops. How could I not? So last week I drove over to Corvallis to join the Dive Bar Crawl. Here are my thoughts on each location along with photos (in order of visit).

First, a note about the digital passport: It’s designed to be easy to use without having to ask for a QR code to scan, or a number to enter, or anything like that; you tap on the bar you’re at, click “Check In Here,” and you’re done. It does ask for location when using the app, so I assume it’s verifying that you’re at least in the actual proximity of the bar to try to prevent cheating the system.

Suds & Suds

The name is a nod to the fact that there is a laundromat next door, and patrons would bring in their laundry to wash and pop into the bar to grab a drink while they waited. The laundromat is no longer open, and hasn’t been for several years; the general manager, Roger, told me they closed it due to people bringing in horse blankets, dirty shop rags, and similar things that were ruining the washing machines.

The bar itself is located at the back of Woodstock’s Pizza Parlor, and it’s not immediately obvious that there is even a bar there from the outside. Suds & Suds opened in 1984, originally located down the block, and moved to its current location in 1993. Not surprisingly, due to its proximity to the Oregon State University campus and ample nearby student housing, it’s a popular student hangout.

COVID hit the business hard, however, and it has only been over the past year or so that it has been recovering back to its former levels, according to Roger. It wasn’t just the year-plus that students went home and school went online; the pandemic changed the dynamic of the dive bar’s business entirely, as an entire cohort of students never experienced or even knew about it.

There’s good beer on the tap list and the overall space very much has a hole-in-the-wall aesthetic that leans into the dive bar theme. Classic beer signs and mirrors adorn the walls, there’s an obligatory pinball machine, and a popcorn machine you’re not allowed to touch (“Do NOT serve yourself,” the sign proclaims, “Ask the bartender for popcorn!”). It’s definitely worth the stop and the effort to find it.

Suds & Suds
1035 NW Kings Blvd.
Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 758-5200

Tom’s Peacock Bar & Grill

The next stop on the Crawl (after checking into the hotel) was the Peacock. Located in the heart of downtown Corvallis on 2nd Street, this is a bar that has history behind it, dating back to the 1920s and even earlier. It’s a true dive bar, and proud of it.

Our group was met by manager and bartender Dakota Lee, who gave us a guided history tour after we ordered drinks. The building that houses the Peacock was originally a livery stable, one of the first buildings in the town; the basement housed a general store, with the main level the stable for horses, and second floor for the people. In 1913 it became a furniture store, while in 1929 the Peacock Tavern opened in a building just down the street.

In the early 1940s (or back half of the 1930s, according to Dakota), the Peacock moved into its current location in the former livery and furniture store building. Ownership has changed over the years, but the name has remained as a nod to the original owner, John L. Peacock.

The building is haunted as well, according to Dakota, primarily by the spirit of a ten-year-old girl who died in a fire in the building. There may be other ghosts.

In addition to the main level bar which hosts pool tables, shuffleboard, and karaoke, we got a tour of the Top of the Peacock, the bar’s live music venue and dance hall. It’s a big space with a central bar and sticky floors (very sticky floors; no amount of mopping seems to help the patina that has built up over the years).

Drinks are cheap during happy hour and they had the bar decked out for Halloween, including multiple horror movies playing on the various TVs. If you’re looking for the archetypical dive bar experience, you’ll find it at the Peacock.

Tom’s Peacock Bar & Grill
125 SW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR 97333
(541) 754-8522

Dinner interlude: Block 15 Brewing

It’s not on the Dive Bar Crawl but the Block 15 pub in downtown Corvallis is always a reliable stop for a meal and excellent beers. The pub hosted our group to fuel up before moving on to the next stop.

I don’t have any pictures to share of dinner, but I did enjoy a pint of Squirrel Stash, the brewery’s seasonal brown ale, which paired well with fish and chips (a classic pub or dive bar meal in my opinion).

Squirrel’s Tavern

The next stop on the Crawl was Squirrel’s Tavern, a Corvallis institution since 1974. We didn’t have anyone at the tavern offering a guided tour and history at this point, so we just grabbed some beers and soaked it all in—but here’s a bit of Squirrels history I found online:

From Visit Corvallis, on the E.W. Fisher block on 2nd Street:

On the corner of Second Street and Monroe Avenue you’ll see a pub, Squirrel’s Tavern, started in 1974. Peep inside to see an antique back bar that came from a 1900s sailing ship. Fisher built this section in the 1870s with the architecture matching his other buildings. In 1913 that part of the Fisher block became Corvallis State Bank, with remodeling done to suit the new renters (including the Justice of the Peace having offices on the second floor).

From Corvallis Sustainability Coalition’s interview with founder Greg Little:

“When you visit the Tavern be sure to check out the antique back bar.” This beautiful piece composed of polished wood and mirrors was originally from the saloon on a sailing ship that came around the Horn to Portland in the early 1900’s. Removed from the ship before she made her return voyage, the back bar graced a Corvallis establishment called PJ’s 1890’s, until finding a home at Squirrel’s Tavern.

The building at 100 SW Second was built in the 1870’s. It housed a bank in the 1920’s which failed during the Great Depression. Squirrel’s kitchen is located in the former bank deposit vault. The serving hatch window had to be jack-hammered through a concrete wall 20 inches thick. “I thought the concrete would help keep the place cool, but it turns out to be a heat trap instead. When we first opened the beer kegs and tap lines, they would get so warm the customers stopped buying our tap beers and demanded bottled beer. We had to fill the sinks with ice to keep the bottles cold! Eventually we were able to put in a cooler for the kegs and refrigerated tap lines.”

It’s a great place, with a good amount of activity when we arrived though not too busy, serving up a good tap list, and decked out with all manner of kitschy artwork, knickknacks, pool tables, pinball, and more. It’s a popular hangout for OSU students and locals, the type of place that everyone seems to end up at, at one point or another, and a place that everyone likes. Our group included!

The atmosphere and sheer amount of eclectic decor were great and it’s worth a trip just to grab a drink and wander around looking at it all. Definitely worth another trip next time I have some time to spare in Corvallis.

Squirrel’s Tavern
100 SW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR 97333
(541) 753-8057

China Delight Restaurant & Lounge

Our final stop of the night was the China Delight Lounge (or “China D” as everyone calls it), and it was getting late at that point. It was the smallest of all of the bars we’d visited thus far, and was definitely one of the most dive bar-y. I didn’t get many pictures relative to the rest of the evening, in part because it was late and fatigue (and alcohol) was setting in, and in part because it just wasn’t that large of a space compared to the others.

Video poker machines illuminate you as you walk through the door, and with the colorful Christmas lights strung over the bar, the low lighting has a pastel glow which seems perfect for late-night, unpretentious drinks. Beer signs adorned the walls, with the showpiece a large Henry Weinhard’s mirror overlooking the corner booth.

I don’t really have any history to share (or don’t recall, really, which is pretty much the same thing), but there were two women dressed like gremlins (the movie types) when we arrived, and later on another woman claimed she saw a ghost in the restroom. So there is definitely atmosphere and great people watching to be found here.

China Delight Restaurant & Lounge
325 NW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 753-3753

Tommy’s 4th Street Bar & Grill

We’d finished out the night at China D, and reconvened in the morning for a hangover breakfast at Tommy’s 4th Street. Opened in 1998, it’s a classic diner that leans into the OSU Beavers theme, with the lounge featuring a full bar that was (I think) empty at that time of the morning. We piled into a corner booth and ordered up breakfast and plenty of coffee. Despite being on the Dive Bar Crawl, none of us took advantage of the “dive bar” angle.

(Side note: Come back again at a later time of day to check out the bar itself.)

Not surprisingly, breakfast is served all day, and the menu features the standards—exactly the kind of diner breakfast I personally look for on such mornings (comfort food!). Naturally I didn’t think to take a picture of my food before I started eating it, but I ordered the Western Skillet and it hit the spot. Recommended!

An aside: Tommy’s is located next to the Hotel Corvallis, a boutique motel with a retro, mid-century vintage design that was remodeled just before the pandemic. I mention this because I remember it used to be the University Inn, which always looked… cheap and sketchy. But I now hear nothing but good things about the remodeled business.

Tommy’s 4th Street Bar & Grill
350 SW 4th St.
Corvallis, OR 97333
(541) 754-7622

The Bière Library

We finished out the Dive Bar Crawl with lunch at The Bière Library, a bar that specializes in Belgian beers and food styles. I’ve been to The Bière Library several times before and I quite like it, but you may be wondering the same thing I did—is it really a dive bar?

It turns out on Monday nights the Library hosts Dive Bar Night (and Service Industry Night) with beer and shot specials including specialty shots of Malört (if you know, you know), a cheap beer challenge blind taste test, hot dog specials, and more; so why not? And who knows, perhaps in Belgium the dive bars are all like The Bière Library?

At any rate, we enjoyed lunch and Belgian beers at our final stop on the Dive Bar Crawl, with a round of croquettes for the table to start. Several of us did the cheap beer challenge (I correctly identified two out of the four), and one ordered a pumpkin spice Malört complete with candy corn pumpkin in the glass (I did not try that). I ordered the Belgian warm salad, a hearty and delicious dish that paired well with a goblet of St. Bernardus Prior 8.

In addition to a terrific tap list, the Library offers a wide range of canned and bottled beers, many from Belgium. And while you won’t find pool tables, there are plenty of books throughout (it is The Bière Library, after all). It’s a charming spot that’s homey and inviting, and an excellent (beer) stop in Corvallis, dive bar or otherwise.

The Bière Library
151 NW Monroe Ave.
Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 286 4193

Bonus stop: Beer:30

While The Bière Library was the last stop on the Dive Bar Crawl that was hosted by Visit Corvallis, before heading for home I stopped in at Beer:30, a craft beer bar that isn’t technically a dive bar (and it’s not on the Crawl), but there’s nothing really disqualifying it as a dive bar, either—in a good way.

Located on Corvallis’ south side, it’s a bit of a hidden gem, sharing a building with an auto detailer and Burrito Heaven, a Mexican restaurant. Inside you’ll find 30 taps of craft beer and cider, as well as wine and a food menu. It’s a cozy spot, with various breweriana decorating the walls and friendly people (staff and patrons both). The tap list is strong, too; when I stopped in, there were four fresh hop beers on tap, for instance.

It’s a solid craft beer bar that may seem a bit off the beaten path compared to the downtown core of Corvallis, but definitely holds its own, and it’s worth seeking out.

Beer:30
1835 SE 3rd St.
Corvallis, OR 97333
(541) 230-1720

The marketing notes that the beer “leans into the fruit-filled harvest flavors of Hood River” that features “juicy notes of little tangerines, fresh blueberries, marmalade, and sun-ripened peaches, with a touch of pine resin.” Zupan’s own blog post about the beer says:

Introducing the latest release in our exclusive Farm to Market beer series, a Hazy IPA made in collaboration with Ferment Brewing.

We’re excited to launch our 37th beer in our Farm to Market lineup. The Farm to Market Series began in 2015 to celebrate Zupan’s 40th anniversary and throughout the years has featured exclusive bottlings created in partnership with local breweries including Gold Dot, Gigantic, Breakside, pFriem & more.

6.6% ABV
$4.99 single | $17.99 4-pack

• Hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe
• Notes of sweet tangerine, ripe peach and pine resin.

It’s a hazy for the changing seasons, and I’ll drink and review it soon.

I don’t have much information on the beer, but there was marketing included on the packaging about its origin:

The recipe for Grass Attack® was created by our R&D brewer, Aaron Stueck, in our R&D brewery in Boulder. With this recipe, Aaron sought to formulate a cold IPA with a complex array of both juicy tropical hop flavors and grassy notes. The combination of Strata and Elani hops produced just the hop profile he was looking for—it also produced remarkably smooth drinkability for a hoppy beer.

Why do we call it Grass Attack®? The name is suggestive of the grassy hop aroma and flavor, while also the perfect name for a beer brewed in a World Cup year. There’s no better way to enjoy a World Cup soccer match than with a pint of Grass Attack® Cold IPA paired with BJ’s Deep Dish Pizza!

It was brewed with Bravo, Strata, and Elani hops, and was 6.5% ABV with 42 IBUs. (I’m writing “was” as if it is no longer available, but I do see people still checking into Grass Attack on Untappd,  so it very well may still be.)

As for the style, you may recall that “cold IPA” was originally brewed by Wayfinder Beer of Portland; it’s something of a hybrid recipe that includes adjuncts such as rice or corn to dry out the body, and it is fermented with a lager yeast at warmer-than-usual temperatures for such yeast. Hops are added during fermentation (as opposed to strictly dry hopping afterward) to amplify the aroma without added bitterness.

I don’t know the exact process BJ’s followed to brew Grass Attack, as the marketing only mentions fermenting with lager yeast. The description of the beer itself said:

The hoppy aroma is full of juicy tropical fruit and citrus, combined with herbal and grassy notes.

The flavor profile is complex—mild sweet malt flavor up front, an array of fresh and juicy tropical fruit flavors (grapefruit, orange zest, lime, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple) with dank undertones (piney, herbal, grassy), finishing with a smooth hop bitterness (not too bitter).

My quick notes: Overall a bit darker and heavier than I was expecting for a cold IPA. The aromatics are nice if a bit muted with some fruity notes, and a touch herbal though based on the name I was expecting more grassy character. The flavor leans more into hop bitterness than fruit, with bready malt, accentuated by some herbal, oily hop notes; there’s a bit of fruitiness (stone fruit) but it still drifts bitter to my palate. More old-school as IPAs go, in my opinion.

You may still find it available at a BJ’s location; if so, try it yourself and see what you think.

At this year’s Great American Beer Festival, the cidery won two medals (a silver and a bronze) in the Fruited Cider category, the most competitive cider category at the GABF with 58 entries. From the press release:

Golden Lime Cosmic Crisp® earned silver in its debut, and Huckleberry Cosmic Crisp® took bronze for the second year in a row.

Golden Lime Cosmic Crisp®, currently available in a 2 Towns variety pack, pairs Washington-grown Cosmic Crisp® apples with bright calamansi golden limes. Huckleberry Cosmic Crisp® blends the same apples with Northwest huckleberries and blueberries.

“We’re building a lineup that consistently earns recognition among the best in the country,” said Aaron Sarnoff-Wood, co-founder and chief sales and marketing officer at 2 Towns Ciderhouse. “Golden Lime is winning medals before it’s even had its official launch, and Huckleberry’s back-to-back medals reflect the craftsmanship and consistency of our cidermaking team.”

The wins continue a remarkable run for 2 Towns at GABF®. In 2024, when cider was first introduced to the competition, 2 Towns was named the inaugural Cidermaker of the Year, earning four medals. With two medals each in 2025 and 2026, the cidery has now collected eight GABF® medals in three years.

Even though cider is a relatively new addition to the GABF, winning medals three years in a row is quite a feat.

2 Towns also won Best in Show and was named Large Cidermaker of the Year at this year’s Northwest Cider Cup, which took place in June. 10 other medals were included in that haul.

On the cocktail front, Craftwell won multiple golds and Best in Class at this year’s Sunset International Spirits Competition, which is hosted by Sunset Magazine. Three of the company’s canned cocktails earned marks: Guava Crush, Mango Lemon Smash, and Pineapple Margarita. Excerpts from the press release:

Craftwell Cocktails® are designed to deliver the bright fruit character, balance and complexity consumers expect from a well-made cocktail in a refreshing, approachable format.

The 2026 Sunset International Spirits results showcased the strength of that approach across the portfolio, with three Craftwell entries earning 94 points and Gold-level recognition.

• Craftwell Guava Crush led the lineup with a Best of Class and Double Gold honors. Judges praised its display of “true guava (with) delicate, delicious light cider notes.”
• Craftwell Mango Lemon Smash earned Gold with 94 points, with judges highlighting its “lovely combo of flowers and tropical fruits.”
• Craftwell Pineapple Margarita also earned Gold with 94 points, with judges describing its profile as “Bright pineapple, zesty lime, crisp cider finish with a refreshing margarita kick.”

These are going up against other spirits across a variety of categories, and all three won in the “Ready to Drink Cider – Cocktail” category. Since these are apple wine-based cocktails going up against distilled spirits, I think it’s particularly notable that they were highlighted.

This is on the heels of the Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge win earlier this spring, which included Guava Crush as well as Huckleberry Cosmic Crisp.

Of the winning cocktails, I’ve reviewed the Pineapple Margarita, which I enjoyed and found does taste as advertised. (All of the Craftwell flavors that I’ve tried have pretty well hit the mark in flavor.) I haven’t had a chance to try the others yet, but if and when I do, I’ll have reviews of them.

Peach Cream Soda

Public Coast has been crafting its own soda in house for years, with its Stephen’s Root Beer and Cream Soda, so adapting the cream soda recipe to add peaches seems like a natural step. Or any fruit would work well with this, really.

The press release I’d posted at the time includes a description:

The new Peach Cream Soda is a non-alcoholic craft soda bursting with bright, juicy peach flavor—perfectly sweet without being overpowering or syrupy. Made with cane sugar, brown cane sugar, and peach fruit concentrate, it’s the ideal companion for a sunny day on the Oregon Coast. Please note that it also contains dairy.

My notes: Clear and bright with a light pink-orange color. It smells like cream soda with peach candy—peach gummy rings, which is really appealing. It’s sweet, syrupy sweet, with vanilla and fruity peach flavor, with the peach lingering into the aftertaste at the back of the palate. The flavor is good but it’s quite sweet, and there is a creamy character to it, old style soda fountain style.

StackStock Candy Cap Stout

StackStock is one of the brewery’s staple seasonals, a robust American-style stout brewed with candy cap mushrooms, which have an earthy maple flavor not unlike maple syrup. It’s 8% alcohol by volume. Here’s the description from that press release:

The StackStock Candy Cap Stout pays homage to the Pacific Northwest by using native Candy Cap Mushrooms. This unique stout has an ABV of 8.0% and features notes of chocolate, coffee, maple, caramel, and pralines, creating a warm and nutty flavor perfect for sipping on a cool and windy day on the Oregon Coast. Along with Candy Cap Mushrooms, ingredients include chocolate malt, oat flake, roasted barley, and more.

I first reviewed this beer back in 2020, and have had it several times since, though I haven’t reviewed it in the intervening years. In general I find this to be a nice strong stout with interesting and subtle flavors.

My notes this time: Subtle maple notes in the aroma with a bit of brown sugar, with nice dark malt character that typifies the malty stout base. It drinks easy, lightly roasty with sweet, burnt caramel and molasses notes, and the maple is as subtle in the flavor as in the aroma. As a sweet stout it has good overall flavors, with the candy cap mushrooms only adding a light note to the beer.

You can sign up for a passport here, just by creating a free account; you’ll scan a QR code at each stop to sign in. Once you sign in to four or more locations (collecting the stamps, in passport parlance), you’ll be entered in the raffle for prizes.

Here’s a bit more about Salem Brew Week:

The whole point is to get you into a brewery, taproom or bar you’ve never walked into and give you a reason to meet a few new people while you’re there.

Let me be clear about what this is and isn’t. This isn’t a week about drinking more. Pace yourself, get a ride, and look out for the people you’re with.

What it is: a reason to get out. Salem has more good breweries right now than most people realize, and a lot of them sit in corners of town you don’t pass on your usual route. This year 19 spots are in, from Xicha and Santiam to places you might not have tried yet like Mesa del Rincon, La Familia Cidery, Angel’s Share Barrel House and SOB Brewery Smokehouse.

Each one has special pricing on select beer, cider or cocktails all week.

Each of the 19 locations on the passport list has a special pour for the week with special pricing; here’s the list with what they are pouring:

• Santiam Brewing — Moore Cider, Coal Porter
• SOB Brewery Smokehouse — Thunderstruck IPA
• McMenamins Thompson Brewery — Black Widow Porter
• Sparky’s Brewing Company — Electric IPA
• Ratchet Brewery — Pumpkin Brown Ale
• For Tomorrow We Die Brewing — Muerte
• Xicha Brewing — 505 Hatch Chile Beer, Blueberry Gin Sour
• La Familia Cidery — El Cucuy
• Kraftworks Taphouse — Orchard Spiced Mule, Pumpkin Pie Martini
• Bull Run Bar at Pintxos in the Alley — Pintxos Lite
• Angel’s Share Barrel House — Sage Advice
• Mesa del Rincon Cervecería & Taproom — Michelada, Brujos Beer
• Venti’s Cafe & Beer Vault — Santiam JFK Premium Lager
• Bonzai! Coffee + Teabar — Sapporo Japanese Lager
• Mykie’s Bar & Lounge — Caramel Cinnamon Bourbon Apple Cider
• Adobe Restaurant and Bar — Lemon Bandit
• The Pink Elephant — Special to be announced
• Corner Pocket Bar & Grill — Corner Pocket Lager, Corner Caramel Apple-tini, Rum-chai-chata
• McMenamins Boon’s Treasury — Black Widow Porter

Check out the events page to see what’s taking place during the week as well.

Tickets for the fest are $48 in advance (which you can purchase here), or $53 the day of; this gets you the tasting glass plus 10 tokens. You can check in early from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

Here are details from the website:

It’s peak apple season, which means it’s the perfect time to celebrate all the delicious things they make – chiefly hard cider! Join us as we celebrate our favorite flavors of fall with 24 Northwest ciders to taste, plus apple-inspired cocktails, non-alcoholic cider, spirits tasting, food specials, live music and so much more!

Worried about fall weather raining on your parade? We got you covered, literally! We’ll have plenty of tents for people to gather under so you can celebrate freely, rain or shine.

Products
24 ciders from local Northwest cideries
Cider & apple-inspired cocktails
Hot cider drinks
Sparky Sparkling Apple Cider
And more!

Plus:
Apple pressing demonstrations & tastings with Portland Fruit Tree Project
Autumn-inspired food specials
Caramel apples
Spirits tasting in Edgefield Distillery * Taste Aval Pota, Pear Brandy & Barrel Thief Apple Brandy

The page also has the list of ciders and other drinks that will be pouring:

CIDERS

• McMenamins Edgefield Cidery
• Blueberry Peach Cider
• Tropical Wave Cider
• Arnold D Palmer
• Blackberry Cider
• Northern Crisper
• Prickly Pear Cider
• Crangerine Dream Cide
• Lavender Elixir Cider
• Mango con Chile
• TriPPPy Cider

19 Acres Hard Cider

• Hard Brazilian Limeade

Avid Cider Company

• Spiced Pear & Ginger

Bauman’s Cider Company

• Authentic Cider

Bigfoot Cider Co.

• Fog & Bramble
• Slow Burn

Bull Run Cider

• Blueberry Lemon

Helvetia Cider Company

• Sun of a Peach

Ilwaco Cider Company

• Columbia Fog
• Marine Marion

Lazy Z Ranch

• Sips of Sunshine Marionberry Meade

Portland Cider Company

• Pumpkin Spice

Stone Circle Cider

• Farmhouse Raspberry

Stray Cider

• Memory Palace

Yonder Cider

• Cashmere

COCKTAILS

Hot Spiced Cider

• Aval Pota Whiskey, hot apple cider, whipped cream

Edgefield Apple Pie

• Aval Pota Whiskey, Herbal No. 7 Liqueur, orange juice, simple syrup, whipped cream

Fall Mule

• Aval Pota Whiskey, Cinnamon Bark Syrup, lemon, topped with Sparky apple cider & ginger beer

SPIRITS

• Aval Pota Whiskey
• Estate Pear Brandy
• Barrel Thief Apple Brandy

Bend’s UPP Liquids led the pack with four medals total, three gold and one silver; UPP also won the 251–500 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year category. Sunriver Brewing followed and won three medals (two silver and one bronze), while Bend Brewing, Deschutes Brewery, and Worthy Brewing won two each. 10 Barrel Brewing won one, a gold.

Here’s what each brewery medaled in:

• 10 Barrel: Gold for Silent G, in the German-Style Koelsch category.
• Bend Brewing:
  • Gold for Because Science, in Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale
  • Bronze for Tropic Pines, in American-Style Strong Pale Ale
• Deschutes:
  • Gold for Fresh Hop King Crispy, in Fresh Hop Beer
  • Gold for Super Stoked, in Classic Non-Alcohol Ale or Lager
• Sunriver:
  • Silver for Cameron’s Crest, in Scottish-Style Ale
  • Silver for Fuzztail, in American Wheat Beer
  • Bronze for Figata Fresca, in Fresh Hop Beer
• UPP:
  • Gold for Buzz Box, in Honey Beer
  • Gold for Flower Child, in Gose
  • Gold for UPP Yours, in Field Beer
  • Silver for German Sparkle Party Zwei, in Berliner-Style Weisse
• Worthy:
  • Silver for Before the Break, in English-Style Brown Ale
  • Silver for The Fourth Colour, in Strong Red Ale

Outside of Central Oregon, a number of breweries won multiple medals, including Alesong Brewing & Blending, Breakside Brewery, and pFriem Family Brewers. 2 Towns Ciderhouse won two awards in cider categories. It’s been a good year for Oregon breweries at the GABF; the full list of winners is here.

Here’s the full press release from the Brewers Association:

The Brewers Association (BA) announced the beers and ciders taking home medals at this year’s Great American Beer Festival® (GABF) competition. New this year, the competition added categories including rice lager, hop water, and a one-time craft malt category, along with two new specialty beer subcategories and three new standalone gluten-free style categories.

A total of 243 breweries and cideries took home 336 medals in this year’s Great American Beer Festival competition. Over three days, 225 expert judges evaluated 7,267 beer and cider entries—including 54 Collaboration and 30 Pro-Am submissions—from breweries across 49 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

“The submissions from this year’s competition continue to reflect just how far American brewing and cidermaking have come,” said Chris Williams, competition director for the Brewers Association. “The addition of multiple new styles and unique concepts like the ‘Craft Malt Beer’ and ‘Hop Water’ categories gave producers fresh ground to explore. The overarching quality presented by so many of the contenders underlines how intensive the judging process is and how competitively these contenders rise to the occasion with entries that pushed each category forward. GABF remains one of the most competitive stages in craft beer, and these winners represent the very best our industry has to offer. Congratulations to this year’s medalists.”

The awards ceremony was held at Levitt Pavilion and live-streamed on The Brewing Network on Sunday, October 11, 2026, as part of the Great American Beer Festival.

View the 2026 winners [PDF]

GABF Competition Statistics

• 7,267 entries (beer, cider, hop water) judges
• 1,300 breweries & cideries in the competition from 49 states, plus Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico
• 225 judges
• 200+ volunteers
• Average number of beers entered in each category: 67
• Category with the highest number of entries: Category 102: West Coast-Style India Pale Ale (277 entries)
• 336 total medals awarded
• 243 medal-winning breweries and cideries
• 125 first-time GABF competition entrants
• 12 first-time GABF competition winners
• Five cider categories
• New categories: Rice Lager, Hop Water, Craft Malt Category, Multi-Adjunct Beer (subcategory of Specialty Beer), Hybrid/Crossover Beer (subcategory of Specialty Beer), Gluten-Free divided into Classic Ale or Lager, Hoppy, Specialty

TOP 5 MOST-ENTERED BEER STYLE CATEGORY WINNERS
* Both categories tie for the fifth most-entered category, each with 161 entries.

Category 102: West Coast-Style India Pale Ale (277 entries) – Sponsored by Wyeast
GOLD: Before & After Science | Human People Beer | Seattle, WA
SILVER: Born Hoppy | TapRoom Beer Co. | San Diego, CA
BRONZE: Mosaic + Krush Cryo West Coast IPA | pFriem Family Brewers | Hood River, OR

Category 101: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (260 entries) – Sponsored by Wyeast
GOLD: Because Science | Bend Brewing Co. | Bend, OR
SILVER: Icy Fog | McMenamins Breweries | Portland, OR
BRONZE: The Goat |New York Beer Project – Beer Lodge | Orchard Park, NY

Category 56: German-Style Maerzen (184 entries)
GOLD: Altstadt Oktoberfest | Altstadt Brewery | Fredericksburg, TX
SILVER: Oktoberfest | Bingo Beer Co. | Richmond, VA
BRONZE: Oktoberfestfest | MainStage Brewing Co. | Boulder, CO

Category 100: American India Pale Ale (165 entries) – Sponsored by Stronger Can, Better Service
GOLD: Breakside IPA | Breakside Brewery & Taproom | Milwaukie, OR
SILVER: Built for Speed | Grains of Wrath Brewing | Camas, WA
BRONZE: Green Battles | Pinthouse Pizza – North | Austin, TX

Category 50*: German-Style Pilsener (161 entries)
GOLD: Altstadt Pils | Altstadt Brewery | Fredericksburg, TX
SILVER: Templin Family Fass Bier | Templin Family Brewing | Salt Lake City, U
BRONZE: Pazifik Coast Highway | Beachwood Brewing | Huntington Beach, CA

Category 54*: Dortmunder or German-Style Festbier (161 entries)
GOLD: Festbier | Wren House Brewing Co. | Phoenix, AZ
SILVER: 8th Anniversary Lager | Fat Head’s Brewery | Middleburg Heights, OH
BRONZE: Counter Weight Fest Bier | Counter Weight Brewing Co. | Cheshire, CT

MOST-ENTERED CIDER CATEGORY WINNERS

Category 203: Fruited Cider (58 entries)
GOLD: Gowan’s Heirloom Cider | Honey Citron | Philo, CA
SILVER: 2 Towns Ciderhouse |Golden Lime Cosmic Crisp | Corvallis, OR
BRONZE: 2 Towns Ciderhouse | Huckleberry Cosmic Crisp | Corvallis, OR

BREWERY OF THE YEAR

0-250 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Mieza Blendery | Alexandria, VA

>250–500 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
UPP Liquids | Bend, OR

>500–1,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. | Golden, CO

>1,000–2,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Craft Coast | Oceanside, CA

>2,000–5,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Morgan Territory Brewing | Tracy, CA

>5,000–15,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Fieldwork Brewing Company | Berkeley, CA

>15,000–100,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Breakside Brewery & Taproom | Milwaukie, OR

>100,000+ Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Goose Island Beer Co. | Chicago, IL

Cidermaker of the Year
Snow Capped Cider | Austin, CO

The 2026 Great American Beer Festival was made possible in part by the generous support of its presenting sponsors: Amoretti, Antigo Zeon, Country Malt Group, John I. Haas, and Prairie Malt; its category sponsors, and through a partnership with the American Cider Association.

Top photo © Brewers Association.