On Tap: Luminaria Building about to open the taps
After gestating for more than three years, downtown Spokane’s brewery incubator is about to hatch.
June 30 has been set as the grand opening (after a soft opening starting Wednesday) for the project in the Luminaria Building, 154 S. Madison St. It centers around a brewery shared by budding entrepreneurs who can try their hand at commercial brewing without having to open their own businesses; there’s also an attached Steel Barrel taproom and Zona Blanca restaurant.
“We’re focusing on collaboration, between the in-house brewers, the brewery and the kitchen, and with other local breweries,” said Cameron Johnson of Young Buck Brewing, one of two initial brewery tenants.
The seven-barrel brewing setup is designed to accommodate up to five fledgling professional brewers. Along with Johnson, another veteran homebrewer is on board for starters, Joe Potter with his Little Spokane Brewing Co.
Johnson specializes in more esoteric offerings, especially sours. With more than 40 barrels, mostly wine and some spirits – several acquired from the defunct Belgian-themed Ramblin’ Road – he’s building what he calls the largest sour program in Eastern Washington.
Potter tends to creative interpretations of more straightforward styles, such as his signature Multigrain Porter, flavorful at a mere 4.4 percent alcohol by volume from a combination of barley, rye, wheat, triticale and oats.
“My approach is to focus on using quality ingredients and executing processwise,” he said, adding that he doesn’t like to experiment too much with any single beer so he can understand the effects of changing only one thing at a time.
The Steel Barrel will pour the house-brewed beers on its 30 taps along with a selection from other local breweries and beyond. Specialty cocktails are another focus, both beer-themed and those designed to complement the fare from Zona Blanca, run by former “Top Chef” contestant Chad White, which will specialize in ceviche.
“Our goal across the board is to break the mold whenever we can, do everything we can in a different way from what everyone else is doing,” said taproom manager Peter McArthur, who also owns Nu Home Brew supply in Spokane Valley.
The project was originally slated for the former Spokane Public Market complex on the east end of downtown, but redevelopment plans there forced the move to the larger Luminaria space last summer.
Johnson describes the atmosphere as “a mix of industrial chic and English pub.” Reclaimed wood tops the tables and bar, an old inverted mail bin serves as a chandelier and wall lighting fixtures were fashioned from former Kaiser Aluminum smelting ladles.
The keg cooler is housed in an ornate safe that once stored fur coats, dating to the building’s past as a fur trading company. Entertainment includes darts and shuffleboard on a table made from vintage bowling alley wood.
Shades of gray make up the color scheme, with a large Steel Barrel logo on the tile above the taps and beer signs lining the walls. There’s also room for a separate banquet space, plus a patio.
Hours will be Wednesday through Sunday, opening at 3 p.m. and closing around midnight on weekdays, later on weekends.
The new location puts the incubator in the middle of a developing downtown brewery district, between Iron Goat and River City to the west and Orlison and the Steam Plant to the east (plus Black Label on the far eastern edge).
Cooperative efforts already have begun, with most of those breweries putting their own spins on a jointly brewed cream ale for the recent Spokane Craft Beer Week, including Potter’s cucumber version and Johnson’s orange creamsicle take.
Freshly tapped
Two for the shows
A pair of special beers are pouring for this weekend’s Elkfest music festival at the Elk Public House.
White Hart Lager, named after one of the English pub signs hanging on the Elk’s walls, comes from Ninkasi and is based on the Oregon brewery’s Helles Belles. It will be an ongoing house beer for the Elk and also served regularly at its sister establishments, The Two Seven and Geno’s in Spokane, Moon Time in Coeur d’Alene and The Porch in Hayden Lake.
And there’s a one-time brew by Georgetown, Moon Time Lake Beer – in honor of that location’s 20th anniversary – a light blonde ale brewed with wheat and grits and hopped with spicy Summit, Saaz and Crystal. That’s also being divided among the Washington and Idaho restaurants.
Save the date
Honor roll
Slate Creek, MickDuff’s and Wallace took home medals from last weekend’s North American Beer Awards at the Mountain Brewer’s Beer Fest in Idaho Falls.
Slate Creek won gold for its current seasonal Slack Line Saison, MickDuff’s silver for Idaho Arm Curl Lager and Gold Stout, and Wallace bronze for RedLight Irish Ale. The competition included close to 1,800 beers from 35 states and eight countries.
Send beer news, comments and questions to senior correspondent Rick Bonino at boninobeer@comcast.net.