On Tap: Brewing up new business

Craft breweries continue to grow at a staggering rate. According to a report last week from the Brewers Association, the number of breweries nationwide has climbed to 7,082 – a full 1,100 more than at the same time last year – with another 2,000 in planning.

Here’s an update on breweries in progress around Spokane and North Idaho:

Another player is coming to the west end of downtown Spokane. Brick West Brewing hopes to open as early as next summer in the former Watts Automotive at 1312 W. First Avenue.

The project is being developed by restaurateur Matt Goodwin and real estate broker Jordan Tampien – co-owners of the Boiler Room and Backyard Public House – and their brothers. It’s across the street from the site of a seven-story residential tower being built by the same team, and patio and rooftop seating on the east end of the brewery will overlook a new city park.

Brewing will be handled by Joe Byers, a Spokane native who previously served as head brewer at Tamarack Brewing in Lakeside, Montana.

Brick West will join a burgeoning downtown brewery district that includes Iron Goat, River City, Whistle Punk and the three breweries at the Steel Barrel incubator (Little Spokane, TT’s Old Iron, Young Buck), along with the Steady Flow Growler House outlet that recently opened in River City’s old taproom.

Snow Eater Brewing will help anchor a budding craft beverage community in Liberty Lake. The brewery at 2325 N. McKenzie Lane, in a business park west of the Quality Inn, is near Liberty Lake Wine Cellars and the in-progress Trailbreaker Cider.

Construction is underway, although no opening date has been announced. Snow Eater will offer an array of heartier beers from a 10-barrel system, and hopes to eventually feature food trucks (which currently are banned in Liberty Lake).

Work continues at Masters Brewhouse in Deer Park, which is shooting for a December opening. The three-barrel brewery will turn out a wide range of beers to accompany a full lunch and dinner menu.

Paragon Brewing in Hayden, which had been brewing house beers at MickDuff’s in Sandpoint, is building a 10-barrel brewery next to its restaurant/pub (which opened in 2014). It hopes to be in production by year’s end.

Look for the return of Red Dog Brown, Hiawatha Pale and Windy Bay IPA, along with several new styles. There could be limited outside distribution in addition to in-house sales.

Also in Hayden, Trails End Brewery is finalizing a location for its planned operation, which will include a 15-barrel brewhouse (geared to broader distribution) and an accompanying restaurant focusing on wood-fired pizza. Opening is expected next spring or summer.

And in Rathdrum, Westwood Brewing has begun serving house beers brewed in Sandpoint through a partnership with recently opened Utara Brewing. First up are a Scotch ale and a hazy IPA, with a blonde ale and stout on the way to round out the core lineup.

Westwood, in an 1896-vintage bank building, opened its bar in April 2017 and added a restaurant last November.

Freshly tapped

Iron Goat’s lemony Azacca Squeeze IPA (6.9 percent alcohol by volume, 6.4 International Bitterness Units) was brewed in conjunction with homebrew contest winner Candace Clark.

The Sapsucker imperial IPA (8.2, 89) from Little Spokane showcases citrusy Citra and Amarillo hops over a lighter malt bill.

Bennidito’s Callista IPA (6.5, 50) features the fruity German hop variety.

The latest releases from Humble Abode include a hazy Standing O IPA (6) brewed with Golden Promise malt and hopped with Hallertau Blanc, Amarillo and Bravo, and a Citraix double IPA (8.5) with honey malt, Citra and Mosaic.

At Mountain Lakes, look for Detlef’s Dunkel dunkelweizen (dark wheat beer, 5.2, 16) and an Irish Spaceman mocha milk stout (6.5, 52), with a Ginger Spice gingerbread amber ale (5.5, 20) on the way for the weekend.

The Steam Plant’s Steam Bock (6.4, 22) is a smooth dark lager with toasty malt and mild, earthy hops.

Waddell’s Bumble Winter Ale (7.5, 40) has notes of toffee, candied orange and spice.

Bellwether’s seasonal Troll King spiced gruit (herbed beer, 8.3) includes Target hops, sage, yellow mustard seed, coriander and grains of paradise.

Save the date

The Coeur d’Alene Growler Guys celebrates its third anniversary Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. with 10 limited-release beers from California’s Heretic Brewing and souvenir glasses for the first 30 customers.

Community Pint’s second annual Friendsgiving on Nov. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. will feature five small plates paired with 6-ounce beer samples. Tickets are $28, through eventbrite.com.

Green Bluff’s 238 Brewing, based on a Christmas tree farm, reopens for that season Nov. 23 with kids’ activities and treats; each tree purchase includes a beer.

The Inland Northwest chapter of Beer Choir has its monthly gathering Nov. 26 from 6:30 to 8 at Bellwether.

Tickets are on sale for the 22nd annual 12 Ales of Christmas party at Capone’s in Coeur d’Alene, coming up Dec. 1. Cost is $50 before Thanksgiving, $55 after, which includes a dozen winter beers, commemorative glass and T-shirt, buffet dinner and a free cab ride home (in Coeur d’Alene only).