Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

On Tap: Trickster’s growing

CdA brewery’s expansion will make space for barrel aging; kolsch set for release next week

Noble Hop, a new summer seasonal from No-Li, is made with American-grown Saaz and Hallertau hops.

Midway through its second year, Trickster’s has a few new twists up its sleeve.

The Coeur d’Alene brewery will close to the public next week as it expands into adjacent space at the Commerce Park business park. That will allow for both a larger taproom and more storage, including a barrel-aging program; owner/brewer Matt Morrow has lined up wine barrels from nearby Coeur d’Alene Cellars.

Trickster’s will reopen the following week with new hours: Monday through Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Food trucks will be on hand those latter three days, with taco-focused 3 Ninjas lined up for at least Friday and Saturday.

While the taproom will be closed, Trickster’s still hopes to release its seasonal kolsch, a hit last summer, to accounts around the area next week.

A few more moves are in the works for later this summer: the addition of an imperial IPA to the regular lineup, and the first Trickster’s beers in cans, likely the kolsch, Shape Shifter IPA and Bear Trap Brown.

Freshly tapped

• Craft Beer Week may be over, but the Spokabrew wheat India session ale (5 percent alcohol by volume, 70 International Bitterness Units) – brewed jointly for the occasion by Iron Goat and No-Li – still is kicking around. It’s worth seeking out both the lighter, more hop-forward Goat version and the slightly smoother, sweeter No-Li rendition.

• No-Li’s new summer seasonal Noble Hop extra pale ale (6.0, 50) came out on draft this week, with 22-ounce bottles to follow. An ale version of a pilsner, made with American-grown Saaz and Hallertau hops, the golden-hued beer has a touch of tartness in its crisp finish.

• Twelve String’s Rhythmic Rye IPA (6.5, 90) returns for the season with some extra hoppiness along with its rye spiciness. The IBUs have been bumped up a bit, and the beer was dry-hopped this year for more aroma and flavor.

• Ramblin’ Road is pouring a pair of new beers on opposite ends of the strength spectrum: a Chinook-heavy session IPA (4.5, 65) that’s flavorful for its weight, and a big, black Belgian quad (9.5, 18), rich with coffee, chocolate and dark fruit notes. A soured version of the quad, aging with figs in whiskey barrels, should be ready for release next year.

Save the date

• Iron Goat will celebrate its second anniversary June 7 from noon to 10 p.m. with an encore of last year’s wildly successful bash that filled the brewery’s outdoor grounds.

Along with five bands (Folkinception, Floating Crowbar, Mama Doll, Go Man Go’s and Fun Ladies) and two food trucks (Shameless Sausages and Bistro Box), there will be several barrel-aged beers, including Head Butt IPA in Dry Fly gin barrels and Punkid pumpkin ale in the distillery’s whiskey barrels.

Admission is $5, with a portion of that, plus all tips, going to Second Harvest of the Inland Northwest. Iron Goat hopes to at least double the $700 it raised for the food bank last year.

• Pullman’s Paradise Creek will mark its four years of brewing May 30 from 5 to 10 p.m. with three cask beers, barbecue, live music and giveaways.

• The third annual Spo-Can festival, May 31 and June 1 at the Elk Public House, 1931 W. Pacific Ave., will feature more than 50 canned beers along with two live bands each day.

Honor roll

• Congrats to Derek Harbaugh and Josh Day of Post Falls, first-place finishers in the inaugural Battle of the Homebrews last Saturday at the Greyhound Park and Event Center in Post Falls. As part of their prize, their winning bourbon stout recipe will be brewed by Waddell’s.

• No-Li, which has established a regional and national reputation in the two years since its relaunch, received the Spirit of the Inland Northwest award at last week’s Inland Northwest Tourism Awards. The award recognizes service, innovation and promotion of the area’s assets.

Send beer news, comments and questions to senior correspondent Rick Bonino at boninobeer@ comcast.net.