Archives for August 2026

Cider Summit Seattle Toasts 15 Years of Bubbles, Bites, and Big Crowds in South Lake Union

August 17, 2026 by Dow Scoggins

Mark your calendars, cider lovers — Cider Summit Seattle is turning 15, and the Emerald City’s favorite fizzy celebration is bringing its biggest party yet to the Lawn at Discovery Center. On September 11 and 12, 2026, more than 40 cidermakers will pour upwards of 125 different ciders, meads, cider cocktails, and fruit spirits for a weekend that’s part tasting room, part block party, and part love letter to Pacific Northwest craft beverage culture. Since its founding, Cider Summit has grown into the region’s signature cider event, and this year’s milestone anniversary comes loaded with extras: a hosted four-course cider-and-cupcake pairing, a dog-friendly lounge, a fruit cider showdown decided by festival-goers themselves, and enough Seattle food-truck fare to fuel a full day of sipping. Whether you’re a cider die-hard or just cider-curious, this is the kind of event where you show up for the drinks and stay for the discovery.

Details worth raising a glass to:

Friday, September 11: 3–8 p.m. (VIP entry starts at 2 p.m.)
Saturday, September 12: Noon–5 p.m., plus an 11 a.m. cider-and-cupcake pairing session
Where: The Lawn at Discovery Center, 101 Westlake Ave. N, South Lake Union
Tickets: VIP from $45, General Admission from $35 (prices rise closer to the event and at the gate)
Bonus: Designated driver tickets available at the gate for $10–$11, complimentary water included
21+ event — no minors allowed

Beyond the pours, festivalgoers can wander the Heritage Cider Pavilion for small-batch, farm-based ciders, vote in the Oregon Fruit Co. Fruit Cider Challenge, browse festival merch at the event store, and let their pups relax at the Dog Lounge, hosted by Seattle Humane Society. Proceeds from the weekend help support the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research, Seattle Humane Society, and the NW Cider Association — so every sip does a little good, too.

History of Cider Summit
Long before “craft cider” was a household phrase, Cider Summit founder Alan Shapiro was cutting his teeth in the beverage world as one of the earliest sales reps for Pete’s Brewing Company, the outfit behind Pete’s Wicked Ale — one of America’s original craft beer brands. Those years forged a relationship with industry friend Mark Browner, who Shapiro credits with planting the seed for today’s Cider Summit. Cider itself entered the picture in 2003, when Shapiro founded SBS Imports and secured U.S. rights to import Aspall Cyder from Suffolk, England. A visit to the historic cidery left a lasting impression, sparking his mission to build American craft cider into a category as vibrant as craft beer. After a couple years of planning, Shapiro partnered with the team behind Seattle Beer Week, and the very first Cider Summit launched in Seattle in September 2010 — an instant hit that quickly expanded to Portland, Chicago, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Fifteen years later, Shapiro is still at the helm, still introducing new producers to curious drinkers, and still proving cider deserves just as much spotlight as beer or wine.

Address: 101 Westlake Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Website: https://cidersummitseattle.com

Celebrating National S’mores Day with Short’s Brewing S’more Stout

August 10, 2026 by Dow Scoggins

There’s no wrong way to celebrate National S’mores Day, but there might be a best way — and it involves a beer that was built to taste like the treat itself. Short’s Brewing Company out of Bellaire, Michigan, has been perfecting its S’more Stout since 2008, brewing it with graham cracker, chocolate, marshmallow, and smoked malt so that every sip hits the same notes as the real thing: sweet marshmallow cream, milk chocolate, and a lingering whisper of campfire smoke. Legend has it the beer was a joint effort between Short’s founders, and nobody can quite agree who gets the credit — but everyone agrees it’s one of the brewery’s most beloved stouts.

So here’s the move for August 10th: build a proper s’more — toasted marshmallow, a square of milk chocolate, two graham crackers, the works — and pour a S’more Stout right alongside it. If you really want to do it right, do what Short’s does at the pub and top your glass with a marshmallow set on fire with a match. It sounds like a party trick, but that flash of caramelized sugar and smoke is exactly what makes the beer sing. Between the actual dessert and the beer that mimics it, you get a double dose of campfire nostalgia without needing to build an actual fire.

What makes this stout a legend in the s’mores-beer category isn’t just the flavor — it’s the origin story. Short’s first attempted the recipe back in 2008, and it was one of the most challenging beers they’d ever brewed — tracking down five-gallon buckets of marshmallow fluff and 20-pound bars of milk chocolate isn’t exactly standard brewery shopping. A year later they dialed in the smoked malt for that extra campfire kick, and a beer that started as a pub inside joke turned into one of Short’s most popular stouts ever made. Drink it fireside in the fall, or just close your eyes and pretend — either way, don’t skip the flaming marshmallow. Short’s really means it.

Address: 121 N. Bridge St, Bellaire, MI 49615
Website: https://www.shortsbrewing.com/beers/smore-stout/

Terrapin Beer Co. Will Stop Production in Athens, Georgia; Taproom to Remain Open

August 10, 2026 by Dow Scoggins

Big news out of the Classic City: Terrapin Beer Co. will stop brewing at its longtime Newton Bridge Road facility in Athens, Georgia, effective September 25, 2026. The move comes from parent company Tilray Brands, which is rolling out a sweeping corporate restructuring plan disclosed in its annual report filed July 28. The good news for Athens beer lovers: the taproom, beer garden, warehouse, and repack operations will all keep running as usual — so you can still grab a pint where it all started, even though the beer itself will be brewed somewhere else in the Tilray network going forward.

The shutdown is part of what Tilray is calling Project 420, a business optimization plan aimed at consolidating brewing capacity and streamlining operations, with Redhook, Atwater, Hop Valley, and Revolver also swept into the same consolidation push. The closures are intended to consolidate production, streamline operations and improve the company’s cost structure, according to the filing, and the filing does not indicate the Terrapin brand itself is being discontinued — just the on-site Athens brewing.

A Look Back at Terrapin’s History
Terrapin’s story is a classic Athens craft beer tale. The brewery was founded in 2002 by Brian “Spike” Buckowski and John Cochran, and the pair debuted their first beer at the Classic City Brew Fest in April 2002. That first beer, Rye Pale Ale, made an immediate splash — just six months after debuting locally, it brought home the Gold medal in the American Pale Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival, even though it was only being sold in Athens at the time.

The brewery grew quickly from there. In 2006, Terrapin secured an $800,000 investment from a pool of Athens investors, which let them buy brewing equipment and lease a small production facility in town. By 2008, they’d outgrown that space and moved into the larger 45,000-square-foot facility at 265 Newton Bridge Road, capable of producing up to 18,500 barrels a year — the very building now stepping back from full-scale production. Over the years, that facility became a true Athens institution, drawing an average of 30,000 visitors annually for tastings and tours.

Ownership shifted over time too: Molson Coors announced a majority stake in Terrapin in July 2016, ending its run as an independent craft brewery, and more recently Tilray Beverages acquired the brand in September 2024, followed by a rebrand in February 2025.

Through it all, the Newton Bridge Road taproom has remained the heartbeat of the brand — a gathering spot known for its indoor taproom, sprawling outdoor beer garden, seasonal releases, live music, and pet-friendly events that built a devoted following well beyond Athens. And that heartbeat keeps going. While the brewing kettles on-site will go quiet next month, the taproom stays open, the beer garden stays lively, and Terrapin beer will still flow freely to fans across the Southeast. For a brand built on innovation and reinvention since day one, this next chapter looks less like an ending and more like Terrapin doubling down on what made it special in the first place — the community, the experience, and that unmistakable Athens spirit. Here’s to many more pints on Newton Bridge Road.

Address: 265 Newton Bridge Rd, Athens, GA 30607
Website: https://www.terrapinbeer.com/

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Indian Creek Tavern Reopens in Reily, Ohio — Bringing Back a Legendary Music Venue’s Storied Past

August 7, 2026 by Dow Scoggins

After four long years of silence, the music is playing again at one of Butler County’s most beloved gathering spots. The Indian Creek Tavern in Reily Township officially threw open its doors on July 27, 2026, marking the return of a restaurant and amphitheater that has been a cornerstone of local nightlife — and a surprising stop for national touring acts — for nearly two decades.

From Farmers’ Pit Stop to Neighborhood Landmark
The building at 6206 Main St. has been serving travelers and locals since long before “Indian Creek Tavern” was ever painted on a sign. Dating back to the 1800s, the structure originally operated as the Spring Hill Tavern, believed to have been established around 1859. In its earliest days, it served a far more practical purpose than live music — it was a waypoint for farmers hauling goods to trade in Cincinnati, with the barkeeper living upstairs above the bar.

The Spring Hill name stuck for well over a century until three local residents purchased the property in January 2006, when it sat on the verge of closing for good. They renovated the space, and by 2007 it reopened under a new name: the Indian Creek Tavern.

The tavern isn’t the only slice of 19th-century bar history in the immediate area, either. Just a few miles away in Darrtown sits the Hitching Post, founded in 1817 and widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating bar in Ohio. Between the two of them, this stretch of Butler County holds onto a rare concentration of historic tavern life — country roads dotted with buildings that have been pouring drinks since long before Ohio’s small towns looked anything like they do today.

Building the Amphitheater
The tavern’s transformation into a true entertainment destination came in 2010, when then-owners Doug Lyon and Brian Campbell cleared the wooded area behind the building to construct an amphitheater with a proper stage. The very first show under the new setup brought in outlaw country legend David Allan Coe, backed by two local bands, drawing an estimated 900 people to what had, until then, been a quiet corner of Reily Township.
That first big night set the tone for what came next. Word spread, and the amphitheater quickly built a reputation for landing acts far bigger than a small-town Ohio venue usually sees.

The Big Names Who Played Reily
Over the years, the Indian Creek Tavern amphitheater welcomed a lineup that would surprise anyone unfamiliar with the venue’s pull. Country star Travis Tritt performed at the tavern during Campbell’s ownership — a show remembered so fondly that the steps leading up beside the property were built specifically to accommodate him. Classic rock guitarist Ted Nugent also brought his high-energy show to the Reily stage, part of a run of national acts that also included rock band Three Days Grace and former Poison frontman Bret Michaels. Local favorites like Thunder Bay and the band Red Ice — recalled by co-owner Brannon Osterberger as a group his own father played in — also packed the grounds over the years, giving the venue deep roots in the community even between the marquee shows.

The Closure and the Comeback
The music stopped in 2021, when the tavern closed its doors following the death of its most recent owner that September. For four years, the building sat quiet — a fact that stuck with Bryon Spencer, who moved to Oxford and kept noticing the shuttered property. He mentioned it to his coworker, Osterberger, who had grown up nearby in Darrtown and had his own history with the place, having watched bands play there “hundreds of times.” When the property finally came up for sale, the two decided to take the leap, purchasing it in October 2025 and keeping the beloved Indian Creek Tavern name intact.
Much of the existing equipment was already in solid shape, but the pair spent months on repairs, cleaning, and upgrades before welcoming the public back. A soft opening on July 26 was meant for 100 to 200 invited guests — instead, 250 to 300 people showed up. The grand reopening followed the next day, with doors opening at 11 a.m. and every table, bar stool, and inch of standing room full by evening. The kitchen reportedly ran out of several menu items as orders poured in.

Longtime regulars like Jason Buttery, who once worked the tavern as a bouncer and bartender, came back just to see if it still felt the same — and found familiar faces, including former bartenders, right back behind the bar.

What’s Next for Indian Creek Tavern
With the restaurant fully staffed and the restored amphitheater ready for action, Osterberger says they’ll likely need to bring on even more help as concerts and outdoor events get booked. For a venue with a history of pulling in acts like Ted Nugent and Travis Tritt, the bar for what comes next in Reily Township is already set high — and after four years of silence, the community sounds ready for it.
Address: 6206 Main St, Reily Township, OH 45056
Website: https://indiancreektavern.net

The Great Beer Float Rivalry: How a Few Too Many Beers Became a World Record

August 6, 2026 by Dow Scoggins

It all began with an idea that, by their own admission, may have been born after “one too many beers.” Kelly Montgomery, head brewer and co-owner of Third Eye Brewing in Hamilton, Ohio, and Dow Scoggins, founder of the U.S. Open Beer Championship, had always wanted to hold a world record. So in February 2024, to celebrate National Stout Month, they decided to stop talking about it and start scooping. Using 9 liters — 27 twelve-ounce cans — of Third Eye’s Higher Purpose Milk Stout and 36 scoops of Graeter’s vanilla ice cream, the pair built what they declared the World’s Largest Beer Float. The attempt wasn’t yet a certified Guinness title, but the documentation went in, and Hamilton, Ohio quietly staked its claim to frozen-and-fermented history.

The record didn’t last long. That June, a Texas brewery caught wind of the Ohio upstart and decided the Lone Star State needed the title back home. Lakewood Brewing Co. in Garland, Texas, went bigger, combining 50 scoops of Andy’s Frozen Custard with 50 pints — a full keg — of Temptress, their top-selling craft milk stout in Texas. Crowds gathered at the taproom to watch, with a kid-friendly version made with root beer on hand for anyone not yet 21.

It’s the kind of rivalry that could only exist in craft beer: two breweries, a thousand miles apart, one-upping each other with stout and ice cream instead of trophies. And somewhere in Hamilton, Ohio, the guy who started it all isn’t done yet — word is a new attempt to reclaim the title is already in the works, with details expected in the next month or two. Stay tuned.

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