Craft Beer Week: Friday

Thank God it’s Friday and we’ve made it through the first four days of Spokane (and American ) Craft Beer Week. Here’s what’s in store for today, for those still standing (check back throughout the day for late-breaking updates):

– Twelve String releases its rum barrel-aged, Mojito-infused Golden Strong Ale starting at noon, to be accompanied by a special Caribbean jerk chicken wrap from the 3 Ninjas food truck this evening.

– The four finalists – a saison, coffee stout, Green Bullet-hopped IPA and Citra dry-hopped pineapple Berliner Weisse – square off in Orlison’s Backyard Beers of Summer homebrew contest starting at 4, with the winner (determined by your vote) having their recipe commercially brewed and served in the taproom.

– The Brewers Showdown homebrewers competition continues at Bellwether, along with the release of a bottle-conditioned hot pepper saison and live music by the Marco Polo Collective at 8 ($6 cover).

– The South Hill Growler Guys welcomes Fremont for a tasting from 4 to 7, with the Summer Ale, Session Pale, Dark Heron IPA, The Sister imperial IPA and bourbon barrel-aged Abominable (better known as B-BOMB).

– From 5 to 7, Steady Flow Growler House (which is now doing Crowlers ) features beers by newcomers Young Buck and Little Spokane from the downtown brewery incubator , with $1 from each growler or pint purchase supporting the incubator’s soon-to-open Steel Barrel taproom; the Mac Daddy’s gourmet mac-and-cheese food truck will provide nourishment.

– The Coeur d’Alene Growler Guys celebrates its six-month anniversary all day with 60 cents off pints, $6 pizzas and $6 crowler fills of selected local beers and ciders.

– Black Label taps a firkin of its Palouse SMaSH collaboration with Badass Backyard, brewed with locally produced Palouse Pint malt, at 6 p.m. ($2 pints) with Palouse Pint’s Joel Williamson on hand from 5 to 7 followed by live music with Haley Young and Jay Condiotti.

– The Palouse SMaSH also will be pouring from 4 to 8 at Badass (usually open only on Saturdays).

– Hopped Up has a daylong release party for its Palouse English Pale Ale, also made with Palouse Pint malt, with Williamson stopping by from 7 to 9; don’t forget the weekly special, $8 growler fills with a pint purchase.

– Waddell’s is pouring its new summer seasonal The Black Berry kettle sour.

– River City’s Randall for the weekend is Clocktower IPA over fresh oranges.

– Trickster’s taps its Tricky SIMphony (Simcoe single-hop Cascadian dark ale) collaboration with Twelve String.

– MickDuff’s is serving its Sour Blood Orange Saison collaboration with Paradise Creek.

– Sorry, Big Barn’s tasting class at the Spokane Valley Total Wine is sold out.

– The Area 51 taphouses at both the downtown and North Side Onion Bar & Grill are holding a local IPA competition all week, with voting on blind taste-test samplers of entries by Bellwether, Big Barn, Orlison, Perry Street, River City, Waddell’s, Wallace and Whistle Punk.

– Perry Street’s Ben Lukes and four of his beers will be featured in a Meet the Brewer night from 5 to 7 at Manito Tap House .

– Firestone Walker’s 2013 §ucaba barrel-aged barleywine is the day’s specialty at The Blackbird .

– The Lantern Tap House is pouring Double Mountain’s Off the Wagon Belgian-style barleywine,

– The Flying Goat has New Belgium’s La Folie sour brown, while sister restaurant Republic Pi is pouring the Le Terroir dry-hopped sour.

– Steady Flow Growler House and Waddell’s Brewpub have local tap takeovers all week (with a special beer-infused fresh sheet menu at Waddell’s), along with weeklong beer specials at Laughing Dog , Black Label and the Steam Plant plus $8 growler fills at Bennidito’s Brewpub .