The Wet Whistle coffee, cocktail bar now open in downtown Spokane

A coffee shop by day and cocktail bar by night is now open in downtown Spokane.

Owners Jessica Ruddach-Moseley and her father, Jim Ruddach, recently opened The Wet Whistle in a space formerly occupied by Indaba Coffee at 210 N. Howard St.

The father-and-daughter duo also own the Whistle Stop Coffee Shop, a java stand at 16409 E. Sprague Ave. in Spokane Valley.

Ruddach-Moseley, a nurse who says she has a passion for health care and business, considered opening a sit-down coffee shop for a couple of years prior to finding the former Indaba space in the Bennett Block building.

“I came across Indaba’s location for sale and everything just fell into place,” she said.

The Wet Whistle serves espresso, lattes, americanos, mochas and more using coffee from Post Falls-based Doma Coffee Roasting Co.

It also serves tea, beer and wine in addition to craft cocktails and mocktails, some of which are infused with coffee.

Many of The Wet Whistle’s cocktail names pay homage to Spokane’s history.

Two of the most popular cocktails among patrons include the Northern Pacific Railway espresso martini and the 7 p.m. Train, a gin-and-sour made with blood orange, egg white, simple syrup, lemon and lime, Ruddach-Moseley said.

“Some fun things coming soon will be our tea-infused cocktails and mocktails,” Ruddach-Moseley said. “We are working with Revival Tea to have a full menu of drinks with their product.”

The Wet Whistle’s food menu includes a variety of flatbreads and sandwiches with vegan and gluten-free options.

Ruddach-Moseley aims for The Wet Whistle to be a place for people to grab a cup of coffee, study or relax during the day, and a meeting spot for cocktails with friends in the evening.

“We are already getting some regulars and it’s been nice getting to know customers,” Ruddach-Moseley said. “Everyone downtown has been supportive, generally happy that we took over (the space) and they want to see us do well.”

The Wet Whistle is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.