Beer/Drinks

A miraculous buzz awaits you in downtown Spokane ...

Though nonalcoholic wines aren’t a new invention, good ones are. The first one I tasted, more than 20 years ago at a Thanksgiving dinner, was little more than dark grape juice in a fancy bottle, and while I was happy to have something a bit more sophisticated to sip at dinner, it was more about fitting in than outright enjoyment. It also felt like a shame to pair good food with not-so-good wine – especially on the one holiday that’s specifically all about the food – but still, it was better than drinking soda.

Last fall, I learned that when you fly home from the Quebecois countryside with an overstuffed bag full of maple syrup, TSA will have questions. I would have thought this to be a normal occurrence up in the Great White North, where the excellence of maple syrup is a matter of national pride, but apparently most travelers bring only one or two bottles back home – not dozens.

Schweitzer Mountain Resort is, unsurprisingly, well-known for its winter offerings.

No-Li Brewhouse’s Squatch Series Imperials swept the podium at the 2025 World Beer Awards in Norwich, England, taking home gold, silver and bronze medals.

During summer in my hometown of New Orleans, it can be sweltering even at 7 a.m. But I don’t sweat it. I’ve whittled down the time it takes for me to get out of bed and prepare my morning cold-brew coffee to a record low. Fill a cup with ice, splash in some concentrate and water, and I’m good to go.

At Spokane’s newest wine bar, owner Jackie Casey aims to make wine approachable for everyone – as long as they’re 21 or older, of course.

Let’s consider 21 the magic number.

No-Li Brewhouse’s Wrecking Ball Imperial Stout earned a gold medal at the 2025 World Beer Cup, after it recently ranked among Forbes Magazine’s Best Stouts in the World.

It’s long baffled me how two of the most essential flavors – sour and salty – came to be associated with bad moods. Tasting food, the only criticism I level more frequently than “this dish needs more acid” is “this dish needs more salt.” Each is essential, providing its own kind of brightening and binding, lifting and highlighting the flavors around it. Yet with people, both “salty” and “sour” have evolved to describe anger or unpleasantness. It must be based on facial reactions – the pinched grimace of a person who has taken a bite of lemon echoing the pinched scowl of someone who wants to speak with the manager.

Giant beer cans floating a river. Giant beer bottles with legs. Giant beer bottles at the dawn of humanity. These are just a few sights from the documentary, “Rainier: A Beer Odyssey,” which showcases the legendary commercials of Seattle’s beloved Rainier Brewery that ran from 1974 to 1987.

No-Li Brewhouse has whipped up a concoction that can quench one’s thirst for tangy craft beer and timely local news in one 12-ounce can.

No-Li Brewhouse is launching the Frontline Freedom fundraiser to support Hillyard’s VFW Post 1474, which provides aid for veterans, active-duty military personnel, first-responders and their families.

If you’re looking to expand your palate and your world, a visit to Cellar & Scholar in Spokane Valley might be just the ticket.

Forbes magazine listed No-Li Brewhouse’s Wrecking Ball Imperial Stout as one of the “World’s Best Stouts” after it won a silver medal at the European Beer Star Competition.

As you enter the doorway of Le Verre, a wall-length, black and white mural with prodigious images of Frank Sinatra, Sophia Loren, Bing Crosby and other legendary showbiz icons beckons you farther inside. Vintage chandeliers and Rat Pack-era music add to a sultry, retro atmosphere which seems to invite patrons to relax and enjoy a trip back to yesteryear.

When Gracelynn Stimson decided she wanted to open 1902 Coffee Co., a coffee stand in Airway Heights, she followed the procedure typical to starting a business. She applied for applicable permits, came up with a business plan, and presented it to her money lender. Where her story veers from the typical is all in the timing: Stimson was a student at Medical Lake High School when she applied for her permit.

As we approach the new year, here are three top-notch sparkling wines primed to make your new year bubbly and full of lots of cheer.

Bryn Garrehy, who grew up in the Peaceful Valley Neighborhood, took the long road home to offer his own hyperlocal coffee, Peaceful Valley Coffee. The roaster has been offering coffee officially since February, and has been in the works for the year leading up to that. The coffee boasts freshness – Garrehy is using a fluid bed coffee roaster, roasting on demand. If customers describe the type of coffee they want, he’ll do a custom roast.