New look for No-Li

Clockwise from top left: The patio’s new water feature was fashioned from an old Atlantic Ocean shipping lane buoy; crushed granite has replaced the beaten-down grass along the riverbank; an observation area lets customers watch what’s happening inside the brewery; brewer Brandon Nelson addresses the Brewsday Tuesday crowd.

If you haven’t been to No-Li lately, you might be in for a pleasant surprise.

Ongoing renovations to the original pub, along with just-completed patio improvements, continue to make the entire space more lively and inviting. And regular events have been added to draw more people, including special beer releases for Brewsday Tuesday and live music in the River Room on Wednesdays.

“Not much had been done to the place in 20 years,” says owner John Bryant, who came on in 2012. “We want to create someplace that’s welcoming and warm, where people can celebrate and be part of something.

“We’re working through the list, as cash flow allows. Each month you come in, something new will be done.”

The main dining area used to have a more standard restaurant atmosphere, done up in darker woods and carpeting. But it gradually has taken on more of the casual, rustic feel of the River Room across the hallway, which leads to the patio.

The inspiration comes from his camping days, Bryant says, hiking into cozy day shelters. “I thought, how great would it be if you could hang out and have that experience without having to hike five or 10 miles,” he says.

Along with new lighting and paneling, the dining room carpet came up to expose a concrete floor, and the furnishings were replaced with more mismatched, distinctive tables topped with reclaimed wood. Eight large barrels filled with aging beer separate the bar from the dining area, with eight more arranged just inside the entrance.

The latest twist is an observation area to the right of the bar, an alcove with stools and a shelf to set your beer on while watching the brewery operation through large glass windows that go partway up (the front tanks have been adorned with brewery logos).

Before, Bryant says, “You didn’t really know you were in a brewery, with the wall there. We want people to be able to see it, hear it, smell it.”

More inside improvements are planned, including refurbished steel on top of the bar and behind it, along with some basalt rock.

Outside, the grass is gone now from the popular patio overlooking the Spokane River, replaced by crushed granite surrounded by paving-stone walkways. The grass was beaten down and tended to become muddy, Bryant says, while the granite drains well and doesn’t stick to shoes.

Adirondack chairs still line the riverbank, with several large picnic tables in the middle. Seating is at metal tables and chairs on the concrete patio adjoining the building.

A custom water feature tucked into a small, landscaped space near the doorway was fashioned from an old steel shipping lane buoy out of the Atlantic Ocean. The No-Li logo is cut into it along with other local symbols the brewery features in its marketing, including the Riverfront Park gondolas and clocktower and the Monroe Street bridge.

Still to come outside are standing bars beneath the twin pergolas, shading nets over them and a draft hut to pour beers on the patio.

“We’re trying to create an environment where people can escape and enjoy a good beer,” Bryant says.