On Tap: 238 expanding to meet demand
After getting things dialed in during its initial year of operation, 238 Brewing is ringing in 2016 in a bigger way.
The Green Bluff brewery, named after the area’s telephone prefix, celebrates its first anniversary Saturday with a taproom and a brewhouse that are both about to grow considerably.
“We had no idea what to expect the first year,” said brewer Mike Beckman, who with wife Lisa runs the business on their family Christmas tree farm.
“Being as busy as we were was a shock. We sold everything we made. I’m proud of the fact that people would actually trek up here just to try our beer.”
Along with the likes of his prized IPA, a red rye ale and a chocolate peanut butter porter, offerings have incorporated produce from Green Bluff neighbors, such as a raspberry wit, peach hefeweizen and apple butter bock.
Beckman struggled at times to keep up on his bare-bones brewing system, which can only produce a single barrel (31 gallons) at once. But by month’s end, he expects to have all the pieces to begin putting together a more sophisticated three-barrel system.
“I’ll be able to do more things with the beer to improve the quality and the consistency,” Beckman said. “Just getting up on big boy equipment for a change will be nice.”
That will allow for limited distribution, though the taproom will continue to be top priority.
By the end of summer, the Beckmans hope to complete work on a taproom that will be some 10 times larger than the current space, a 300-foot-square, 100-year-old building that served as a bunkhouse on the original farm.
The smaller structure, which has been gradually upgraded with new, matching furniture and a wood plank floor, will remain open for more intimate gatherings.
“Everybody still loves the quaint little alehouse,” Lisa Beckman said. “People feel like they’re sitting in their living room.”
Indeed, some customers treat it like their own, added Mike Beckman. “A lot of people almost take an ownership in this place,” he said. “People will bring things in and say, ‘I thought this would look good on your wall.’ It’s amazing the loyalty and camaraderie you get.”
That’s likely to be on full display at Saturday’s anniversary party, which runs from noon to 6 p.m. There will be raffle drawings for door prizes of brewery merchandise, and a snowshoe walk (snow willing) from 1 to 3 p.m. to play games at various stops and collect cards, with prizes for the best and worst hands (there’s a $5 entry fee).
And there will be hot food and cold beer, including the latest results of the Beckmans’ experiments blending various brews with homemade root beer, shandy-style.
Bring a donation of dog or cat food, kitty litter or office supplies for the Spokane Humane Society and get your first pint for $3 – a natural fit for the dachshund-loving owners, who also hosted a summer benefit for a horse rescue organization. “We’re definitely the animal people,” Lisa Beckman said.
If you don’t make it Saturday, regular winter hours are Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 to 5. The taproom is located at 10321 E. Day Mt. Spokane Road.
More milestones
The 238 isn’t the only local brewery celebrating an anniversary this month.
River City’s third birthday party Jan. 30 will feature 11 beers on tap – including the debut of this year’s Congratulator Doppelbock alongside last year’s version, plus 2014 vintages of Oako-Coco Nitro imperial stout, Deep Thaw Winter Warmer and a bourbon barrel-aged stout – along with live music by Folkinception and food from the Couple of Chefs truck.
Also downtown that same day, Black Label marks its first year of operation with $3 pints and $10 growler fills, and the planned release of a fruity new IPA dubbed Tropical Thunder, hopped with Amarillo, Citra and Sorachi Ace. There will be live evening music by Haley Young and Jay Condiotti.
Neighboring Common Crumb bakery, also observing its first anniversary, will offer macarons made with the Tropical Thunder hops as well as spent grain brewer’s bread.
And Daft Badger turned 1 on Wednesday, though it’s postponing the celebration until spring, when it will release its Summer’s Envy IPA and Josiah’s Revenge imperial stout in 22-ounce bottles.
Freshly tapped
Save the date
Eight area breweries – Bellwether, Black Label, Budge Brothers, Laht Neppur, Paradise Creek, Riverport, Trickster’s and Zythum – will pour at the Palouse Cabin Fever Brew Fest on Feb. 13 in the tiny town east of Colfax. Tickets for the combined indoor/outdoor event are $20, available at Budge in Spokane, Paradise in Pullman and newly opened Rants & Raves in Moscow. Don’t delay; it has sold out in advance the past two years.
Send beer news, comments and questions to senior correspondent Rick Bonino at boninobeer@comcast.net.