A suds and spirits sampler
Two tasting events feature region’s brewers, distillers
Beers from several area breweries will be poured at a pair of tasting events Saturday:
• Budge Brothers, Iron Goat, No-Li, Orlison and River City, along with Alaskan and Budweiser, are participating in Spokane on the Rocks, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Spokane Convention Center and INB Performing Arts Center.
As befits the title, the day is actually more about the harder stuff. A dozen regional craft distilleries also will be on hand, and Rainier Distillers will display stills and explain the process.
Admission is $10, which includes three liquor or beer samples, or two cans of soda or bottles of water. Full cocktails will be available for $6 to $8, and beer pints for $6.
There also will be food for sale, live music and a cigar area. More information: (509) 621-0125 or www.spokaneontherocks.com.
• More than 30 offerings from No-Li, Paradise Creek, River City, Trickster’s and Wallace Brewing, plus Deschutes, New Belgium, Ninkasi, Odell and Pyramid, will be featured in Bikes, Brews & BBQs at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds in Coeur d’Alene.
Beer tasting begins at 2 p.m. and costs $10 for five samples (additional tokens $2, or three for $5). There’s also free family entertainment, a Pacific Northwest Barbecue Association competition, food truck rodeo and an evening motocross show ($12 admission). More information: (208) 765-4969, www.bikesbrewsbbqs.com.
Freshly tapped
• Twelve String’s new incarnation of Fingerpickin’ Pale Ale (4.7 percent alcohol by volume, 42 International Bitterness Units) gets tart apple and earthy spice notes from Calypso hops. Crisp and refreshing for summer, it’s scheduled to stick around all year.
• Both the St. Joseph imperial saison and another special surprise brew will be unveiled at Selkirk Abbey’s first anniversary celebration Saturday from noon to 7 p.m., along with the first bottled beers from the Post Falls-based, Belgian-style brewery. There also will be live music and deli sandwiches for sale.
• Iron Goat is rolling out its whiskey barrel-aged Goatnik Russian imperial stout to select Spokane accounts. The brewery also has been approved for Idaho distribution (details to come), and has added Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4 to 9 p.m. to its taproom hours.
Brewery watch
• Big Barn Brewing at Green Bluff’s Bodacious Berries, Fruits and Brews, which made a brief debut last fall, is scheduled to open for the season July 5. Initial tasting room hours will be Friday through Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m.; look for a rotating lineup including Raspberry Wit, Dunn Day IPA and Strong Oat Stout.
• Ramblin’ Road has received Spokane city approval for its brewery expansion and taproom at 730 N. Columbus St. (just north of No-Li). Construction started this week, with an anticipated opening in late August or early September.
Honor roll
Orlison (formerly Golden Hills) took a gold medal in the Amber & Dark Lagers category with its Lizzy’s Lager in the inaugural Washington Beer Awards, announced earlier this month at the annual Washington Brewers Festival.