Nine years in, MickDuff’s keeps growing
MickDuff’s celebrated its ninth birthday this month amid a major growth spurt.
In June 2013, the Sandpoint brewery moved production from its brewpub to the former Pend d’Oreille Winery space around the corner to allow for expansion.
It started distributing beer around North Idaho (and later, Eastern Washington) at the beginning of last year, and in June opened a taproom, the Beer Hall, at the newer space.
Now MickDuff’s is in the finishing stages of upgrading its brewing system from the original seven barrels to 20 barrels, which will allow it to distribute more beers on draft and possibly begin bottling or canning.
“There’s always something going on around here,” said sales and marketing manager Mack Deibel. “We’re just trying to continue our growth.”
Test batches have begun with the new mash tun that head brewer/co-owner Mickey Mahoney fashioned from a 700-gallon dairy tank. Once that’s working, MickDuff’s can take possession of the 20-barrel (600-gallon) brew kettle waiting at LaBreck Stainless Works in Hayden.
If everything goes smoothly, all of the pieces should be put together around mid-May, Deibel said.
The extra production capacity will allow three more MickDuff’s beers – the blonde, Irish Redhead and a summer session IPA – to be distributed on draft along with the current Lake Paddler Pale, NOHO imperial IPA and Knot Tree Porter.
It also will pave the way for eventual packaged beers in bottles or cans. “That’s definitely our goal,” said Deibel. “We just need to figure out what makes economic sense.”
Freshly tapped
• River City’s Inconceivable Imperial Pilsner (7.1 percent alcohol by volume, 34 International Bitterness Units), a stronger, hoppier version of the traditional golden German lager, returns for a second spring. Its malt sweetness is balanced by a subtle earthy, fruity hoppiness and a crisp finish.
• The spring seasonal Irish Kate at Iron Goat (7.7, 95) is an imperial red that starts out malty and fruity and finishes dry and herbal.
• Third Channel IPA (7.5, 102), named after the city dam, has joined the regular lineup at Downdraft in Post Falls. The former experimental recipe is aggressively hopped with Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus and Cascade.
Save the date
• Zythum Brewing in Fairfield marks its first year of operation Saturday with classic rock from Random Generation, the Toby’s BBQ food truck and a new IPA heavy on earthy, herbal Columbus hops.
• Schweitzer Mountain Resort welcomes spring on Saturday with Winterfest, featuring a dozen craft beers and ciders on tap and live music by Dimestore Prophets. Cost is $10 for a souvenir glass and four tasting tokens (additional tokens $2 each, full pints $5).
• The Lantern Tap House celebrates its seventh anniversary starting Wednesday with a tasting of Iron Goat’s barrel-aged Goatnik imperial stout from 2012 and 2014 (reservations being taken now). Tastings and tap takeovers continue through the month; for details, see the Lantern’s Facebook page.
On the air
Good Brews, a local craft beer radio program hosted by filmmaker/ beer enthusiast/homebrewer Adam Boyd, debuts Sunday at 5 p.m. on KYRS-FM. It replaces Portland-based Beer O’Clock, which has been discontinued.