Beer Fan Opens Filling Station

Craft beer fan Keith Carpenter and his wife, Megan, recently opened The Filling Station on 5th in Coeur d’Alene. (SR photos: Kathy Plonka)

“Fill ’er up” has a new meaning for Coeur d’Alene beer buffs. The city’s first growler specialty shop, the Filling Station on 5th, had its official opening last weekend in the back of Scratch Bistro at Fifth and Sherman. The 20-tap operation is a project of Keith Carpenter and his half-brother, Scratch owner Jason Rex. Carpenter is the craft fan in the family. “I’ve had a T.W. Fisher’s tap handle in my truck (as a gear shift knob) since 1990,” he said, recalling Coeur d’Alene’s pioneering brewpub. “I’ve always liked the bigger beers.” The initial lineup reflected that, with such offerings as Left Coast’s Asylum tripel (11.8 percent alcohol by volume), Odell’s Barrel Thief imperial IPA (10.3), Firestone Walker’s Double Jack and 10 Barrel’s double IPA (both 9.5), and North Idaho Mountain Brewing’s Loft Honey (8.5) from Wallace/ Rick Bonino , SR On Tap blog. More here.

Question: Do you have a growler at home?