Thundering Bargains
#Ad Obtain your bounty while the Iron remains Hot, for once the Strike has passed, the Opportunity is Lost Forever.
Hoppin’ Frog: 20 Years of Spirits
Cellar favorites flowin’ all year in Akron. Sip a piece of history. Give ’em the secret handshake.
Cincy Beerfest
(Big One)
Duke Center. Sat Feb 7. 24+ breweries. Look for the “Buzz” astronaut merch. Password: Shh. See ya there!
Valentine’s Day at the Joint
#Ad Treat your doll to the good stuff. Sweets, suds, and no coppers. Sneak over for a real swell time. Shh!
What’s Fresh…
TOLEDO GOES NUTS!
Peanut Butter Fever Grips Earnest Brew Works
Main-Stay Beers Get NUTTY Upgrade
Limited Cask Releases Flowing Across All Locations
While Supplies Last’ Warning Issued…
Developing…
THE HOPS ARMS RACE IS OVER!
PILSNER PUTSCH: Lagers Dethrone IPAs as ‘Beer-Flavored Beer’ Returns to the Taproom!
THE SCOOP: After a decade of drinking beer that tastes like a pine tree had a head-on collision with a grapefruit, the “Tavern Crowd” has spoken. According to recent 2026 industry data, sales for West Coast and Hazy IPAs have hit a plateau, while the humble, “crushable” Pilsner is staging a hostile takeover of the tap handle.
OUR TAKE: It’s about time. We love a good hop-bomb as much as the next guy, but you can’t drink four of them while watching the game without feeling like you’ve swallowed a bouquet of flowers. The return to “beer-flavored beer” means you can actually taste your burger again. Brewers are finally realizing that “complexity” shouldn’t require a palate cleanser and a nap.
THE VERDICT: Order a lager. Your tastebuds—and your morning-after self—will thank you ~Source:
MSG IS THE NEW SALT:
Bartenders are raiding the spice rack; miso and MSG are now
THE $20 12-PACK?
Inflation and aluminum tariffs have pushed domestic staples like
THE $15 MOCKTAIL MENACE?
Bars Turning ‘Zero-Proof’ Into Massive Profit Centers…
SPUDS MACKENZIE’S MID-LIFE CRISIS
Big Beer Revives 80s Mascots to Save Slumping Sales…
THE SCOOP: If you thought we left the 1980s behind, Big Beer has some neon-colored news for you. Struggling with “inflation fatigue” and a generation of drinkers who would rather have a kombucha than a pilsner, major brands are dusting off the mascots of yesteryear. From the return of sophisticated bears in pork pie hats to rumors of certain “party animals” making a Super Bowl comeback, the industry is betting that your fondness for 1986 will outweigh your annoyance at a $16 six-pack.
OUR TAKE: It’s the “New-stalgia” play. The marketing suits have realized that while they can’t make beer cheaper, they can make it look like the stuff your dad used to drink while he was yelling at the TV. We’re all for a retro label, but let’s be honest: a mascot is just a distraction from the fact that “value” now means paying more for the same watery lager. If you’re going to bring back the Bud Frogs, they’d better be croaking about a happy hour discount.
THE VERDICT: Enjoy the trip down memory lane, but don’t let a skateboarding dog distract you from the receipt. Nostalgia tastes great, but it doesn’t pay the bar tab ~ Source:
MONDAY IS THE NEW SUNDAY
TAVERN TENSION: Independent Pubs Slashing Hours as ‘Early Week Closures’ Become the New Normal…
THE SCOOP: If you were planning on a “therapeutic” Monday night pint to wash away the start of the work week, you might be staring at a “Closed” sign. Across the country, independent operators are officially waving the white flag on Mondays and Tuesdays. With the price of a keg up 15% and the cost of a reliable dishwasher hitting an all-time high, the math for opening the doors on a slow Tuesday just isn’t mathing anymore.
OUR TAKE: We’re officially entering the era of the “Four-Day Pub.” It’s a grim reality check for the neighborhood regular. While the big chains can afford to stay open and serve you a frozen burger at 11 PM on a Monday, your favorite local taproom is home counting pennies and praying the CO2 lines don’t leak.
THE VERDICT: Support your local watering hole on a Thursday so they can afford to see you on a Monday. Use it or lose it, folks—otherwise, your only “Tavern Tale” will be about the time you drank a lukewarm seltzer in your own living room ~ Source:
THC LIFELINE AT RISK:
Struggling breweries lean on hemp-derived drinks, but
THUNDERING DEALS
#Ad Obtain your bounty while the Iron remains Hot, for once the Strike has passed, the Opportunity is Lost Forever.
National Updates
Doom News
- Israeli Settlers, Military Accelerate Violent Expulsion of Palestinians Off Their Land in the West Bank
- Somaliland Is Lobbying for U.S. Recognition Next
- Report From Sudan: In Besieged City, Massive Numbers of Displaced Find Little Shelter or Food
- AIPAC Coordinates Donors in Illinois House Primaries
- AIPAC faceplants in New Jersey; U.S. strikes another boat in the Pacific; Cuba on the brink
Eat
Thundering Bargains
#Ad Obtain your bounty while the Iron remains Hot, for once the Strike has passed, the Opportunity is Lost Forever.
Hoppin’ Frog: 20 Years of Spirits
Cellar favorites flowin’ all year in Akron. Sip a piece of history. Give ’em the secret handshake.
Cincy Beerfest
(Big One)
Duke Center. Sat Feb 7. 24+ breweries. Look for the “Buzz” astronaut merch. Password: Shh. See ya there!
Valentine’s Day at the Joint
#Ad Treat your doll to the good stuff. Sweets, suds, and no coppers. Sneak over for a real swell time. Shh!