New owners at the Hop Shop, plus how much beer we all drink in ‘beer season’
We pause this weekend to celebrate .... great American beer and beer pubs.
Two notes are called for. First, the switch in ownership at the Hop Shop, on Spokane's South Hill.
Spokane resident Mel Kathryn Wood took over the shop on April 15, from previous owners Andy and Glen Gardner, who opened the neighborhood pub in 2010.
Wood will rely on her twin sister Emily Redington to help run the South Hill business, which is open Tuesday-Saturday.
Wood said she will keep the same shop philosophy: no TV, no Wi-Fi, no loud music, and a wide selection of craft beers.
Based on customer preferences, Wood said she’s considering having food trucks in the parking lot a few days per week. Another option is occasional acoustic music performances.
The second key note: Americans will drink a lot of beer. The accompanying infographic shows how much, based on industry data. If you get releases from the American Beer Institute, you'll be reminded of this fact: In the 15 weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2013, beer and malt beverage sales topped $11 billion, making it one of the largest selling categories of all food and beverage categories.