12 String Brewing Company 12 String has expanded over the past couple of years, serving their beer around the region and beyond, as well as in their taproom, where you'll find a loyal following of Valley beer fans. They make an excellent stout (and double stout) and a nice collection of beers, including a fresh hop beer in the fall and a rye IPA. Keep an eye out for their specialty brews, which are among the more creative on the scene. 11616 E. Montgomery Dr., Spokane Valley, Wash. • 241-3697
Bennidito's Brewpub In the summer of 2015, Chris Bennett, who had run the popular Bennidito's Pizza on the South Hill for a couple of decades, finally realized his dream of opening his own brewery. The spot on East Sprague just outside of downtown features a number of Northwest-style beers, including mutliple IPAs, as well the same pizza recipes from the restaurant. 1909 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane, Wash. • 290-5018
Big Barn Brewing Company A trip to Big Barn makes you feel like a beer tourist, even in your own town. Located on the rolling Bodacious Berries & Fruit farm in Green Bluff north of Spokane, the brewery has completed work on their production facility and is now selling kegs to bars around Spokane. Make the trip to their cozy tasting room, where the peanuts are free and the product can be taken out to a spacious beer garden overlooking the farm, including the hop vines that end up in their mostly Northwest-style beers. 16004 N. Applewood Ln., Mead, Wash. • 238-2489
Bellwether Brewing Co. Dave Musser and Thomas Croskrey opened Bellwether Brewing in the fall of 2015 with the intention of making "old world" beers. By this, they mean stuff you haven't heard too much about — like braggot, mead, heather and other styles that originated in Europe centuries ago. But the brewery, located on Monroe Street in the Emerson-Garfield neighborhood, also does more Northwest-style beers. 2019 N. Monroe St. , Spokane, Wash. • 280-8345
Black Label Brewing Company Black Label Brewing is now in their second year of brewing in the Saranac Commons space, alongside several food vendors. The brewers use hops grown on their farm in some of their brews; in the Honey Bandit Blonde, you'll be drinking honey from their farm. The company is active in their thriving side of downtown Spokane and keeps a rotating cast of beers on tap. 19 W. Main Ave., Spokane, Wash.
Daft Badger Brewing Located in Coeur d'Alene's midtown area in what was once co-owner Darrell Dlouhy's painting shop, you'll find a full pub menu and a beer list that spans the style spectrum. On one end, there's the hop-forward Badgers Bounty IPA; on the other, the more malty Josiah's Revenge, an imperial stout. The taproom features a full-service restaurant with sandwiches and other pub fare. 1710 N. Second St., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho • 208-665-9892
English Setter Brewing Jeff Bendio is at the helm of this Spokane Valley boutique brewery named for an upland bird-hunting dog. You can try the On-Point Pale, Fetching Blonde, Wiggly Butt IPA and several others, along with a lunch and dinner menu and live music. 15310 E. Marietta Ave., Spokane Valley, Wash. • 413-3663
Hopped Up Brewing Company Now three years into operation, this brewery serves thirsty commuters, as well as folks from the neighborhood, along a busy stretch of Sprague Avenue in a former IHOP restaurant space. The company continues to put out beers that began as homebrew recipes from owner Steve Ewan, including an IPA to ambers and stouts. 10421 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley, Wash. • 413-2488
Hunga Dunga Brewing Graham Lilly, owner of Hunga Dunga, gave this new Moscow brewery its peculiar name as a nod to the Marx Brothers. Lilly is a former bartender and chef who wanted to take the step into brewing, so you'll find a full restaurant and a growing list of beers made on-site at this newly opened (summer 2016) Moscow haunt. 333 N. Jackson , Moscow, Idaho • 208-596-4855
Iron Goat Brewing Co. Iron Goat's success throughout the state finally caught up with them in 2016 when they moved out of their increasingly crammed spot in east Spokane and moved to downtown, where they can keep up with production. Now in 22-ounce bottles throughout the region, Iron Goat's Garbage Pale Ale, Head Butt IPA and Trashy Blonde have all become regional favorites. At their new pub, you can taste beers while looking through glass, and see your favorite beer being made. 2204 E. Mallon Ave., Spokane, Wash. • 474-0722
Laughing Dog Brewing Since expanding into cans, Laughing Dog has seen serious growth and is positioned to become one of Idaho's biggest breweries. They're moving into a new production facility in Ponderay, just outside of Sandpoint, to help keep up with demand. Their pub has also exanded to include flatbreads and sandwiches. But back to those cans — if you see their IPA or the 219er (an easy-drinking beer named after the famed Sandpoint Bar) in stores, go ahead and buy them without hesitation. 1109 Fontaine Dr., Ponderay, Idaho • 208-263-9222
Little Spokane Brewing Company Like Young Buck, Little Spokane is housed at the Steel Barrel, Spokane's first incubator brewing center. So you can sample their beers, in addition to brews from other regional beer makers. Little Spokane debuted in the summer of 2016 with beers like their Indian Painted Rocks, a red, hoppy ale. You'll soon find Little Spokane on tap around town. 145 S. Madison, Suite 101, Spokane, Wash. •
Mad Bomber Brewing Company In 2013, three former Army bomb squad soldiers (hence the name of the operation) with an interest in home brewing decided to make their hobby a career and founded Mad Bomber. As a super-small-batch brewery, they can switch out their beers on a frequent basis, meaning you'll often see something new on the tap list. 9265 N. Government Way, Hayden, Idaho • 208-762-7343
MickDuff's Brewing Co. For fans of this Sandpoint brewery, it might be a surprise that MickDuff's is now 10 years old. Brothers Mickey and Duffy Mahoney were early to the region's craft-beer boom, opening their downtown Sandpoint operation in 2006 and now have both their pub (get the Gorgonzola fries) and a beer hall in downtown Sandpoint. The Lake Paddler pale ale, Irish Redhead red ale and NoHo IPA are all must tastes. 312 N. First Ave., Sandpoint, Idaho • 208-255-4351
No-Li Brewhouse The godfather of the Spokane Brewing scene, No-Li is fresh off being named the 2016 Brewery of the Year at the Washington State Brewers festival. Their Logan neighborhood brew pub continues to expand and now has a revamped patio with a serving station and a scenic view of the river. While you can still get a Born & Raised IPA or a Wrecking Ball imperial stout in the bottle, the brewery recently moved to cans, too. Their 2016 release Big Juicy, a floral, citrusy and sessionable IPA, showcased the brewery — which does plenty of specialty, barrel-aged brews, as well — at its best. 1003 E. Trent Ave. , Spokane, Wash. • 242-2739
Orlison Brewing You'll see Orlison's canned beers, most of which are craft lagers, all over the region. That said, 2016 saw the brewery release its first production-scale ale, the Shin Splints IPA to coincide with Bloomsday. You can taste all of Orlison's creations at their downtown tasting room, just a few blocks from other Spokane breweries. 12921 W. 17th Ave., Airway Heights, Wash. • 244-2536
Perry Street Brewing A popular stop in the bustling and booming South Perry District, this brewery now has its own in-house food menu of sandwiches and other items after a couple of years of using food trucks. Brewer and owner Ben Lukes is a mad brewing scientist of sorts, experimenting with different yeast strains, hop varieties and other ingredients to create everything from big, floral IPAs to an effervescent Kolsch, and even some fruit-flavored beers. 1025 S. Perry St., Spokane, Wash. • 279-2820
Post Falls Brewing Alex Sylvain and fellow brewer Dan Stokes, along with support from business partner Steve Cervi-Skinner, designed and built this brewery from scratch in downtown Post Falls and opened it in April 2016. Their lineup includes the OPC Hefeweizen, while the hoppy Stoney MacGuyver IPA is a nod to one of the local contractors they worked with, says Sylvain. The SnR IIPA (aka Sssssick n' Rowdy) is a hefty 9 percent ABV, while the Cheap Prick Session Ale, weighing in at just 5 percent ABV, is an easy-drinking lighter beer. 112 N. Spokane St., Post Falls, Idaho • 208-773-7301
River City Brewery For a long while, River City's flagship red ale was what you'd order at their downtown taproom, but now the brewery boasts a strong lineup of beers, including seasonal releases and experimental brews. On the hot days of summer, go for their Girlfriend. Come fall, make sure to check and see if they've got any fresh hop beers on tap. 121 S. Cedar St., Spokane, Wash. • 413-2388
Selkirk Abbey Brewing Company One of the region's most decorated breweries in terms of awards, Selkirk Abbey continues to thrive within the Belgian-style niche that has expanded in recent years. The Post Falls brewery's 22-ounce bottles can be found throughout the region and beyond. For a more classic Belgian, go with the Chapel, but to taste what happenes when the Northwest collides with Belgian-style, go with the Infidel, an IPA that rings in at 8.2 percent ABV. 6180 E. Seltice Way, Post Falls, Idaho • 208-292-4901
Slate Creek Brewing Co. Slate Creek Brewery has a rustic, industrial theme and plenty of earthy colors. The beers fit the theme, with names like Mountain Hop IPA, Backcountry Brown and Norse Nectar. The brewery — popular among Coeur d'Alene residents, especially the outdoor lovers — has been putting out award-winning beers as of late, including a saison that took a gold at the North American Beer Awards. 1710 N. Fourth St., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho • 208-664-7727
Steam Plant Brewing Tasting beer from Steam Plant's 10-barrel system — be it the Highland Scottish Ale, Jalapeño Ale or the popular Double Stack Stout — is best done in their ultra-comfortable subterranean bar, where you can lounge on a couch while you drink. Many of the hops and grains used to make the beers are sourced locally and regionally. You can fill up a growler to go, buy it by the keg or order a pint to go with dinner. 159 S. Lincoln St., Spokane, Wash. • 777-3900
Square Wheel Brewing Co. Square Wheel is the first Washington Brewery to operate as a division of a winery. Given that the nascent brewer is owned by Arbor Crest Cellars, the popular Spokane winery, expect good things to come from this operation. Square Wheel serves up a red, a blonde and an IPA, with more beers to come. 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. , Spokane, Wash. • 994-2600
Trickster's Brewing Company Located in an industrial area of Coeur d'Alene, Trickster's is a bit out of the way, but certainly worth a stop for any beer tourist or CdA local. Founded by Matt Morrow, a brewing industry veteran, Trickster's is known to brew up adventurous beers while keeping a steady year-round lineup. Stop in on Thursday for $3 pints. 3850 N. Schreiber Way, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho •
Waddell's Brewpub & Grille Building on the success of the six-year-old South Hill food and beer hub, Waddell's Neighborhood Pub & Grille, owner Michael Noble opened the doors of this Northside counterpart at the end of 2013 and started up a brewery inside the new restaurant. Waddell's Brewpub makes house beer found at both locations, with names reflecting the story of turn-of-the-century ballplayer Rube Waddell, like the South Paw Pale Ale, Fireman's Amber Ale and Alligator Stout. 6501 N. Cedar St., Spokane, Wash. • 321-7818
Wallace Brewing Company Wallace Brewing is now available in bottles throughout the region with beer names that are mining and bordello-inspired, like the Red Light Irish Red Ale and Jackleg Stout. The place is equipped with a tasting room that includes darts and a pool table. 610 Bank St., Wallace, Idaho • 208-660-3430
Whistle Punk Brewing Operating mostly under the radar, father-and-son team Craig and Matthew Hanson have developed tasty beers at their Newman Lake brewery that currently isn't open to the public. They have plans for a tap room in the near future, but for the time being you can find their small-batch Northwest style ales that lean toward the hoppy side at beer bars around the region. Newman Lake, Wash.
Young Buck Brewing You can find Young Buck's beer at the Steel Barrel, a brewery incubator and bar featuring Chad White's Zona Blanca ceviche restaurant in the same space. In the back, you'll find Young Buck's owner and brewer Cameron Johnson at work on creating brews for this long-in-the-making business. 145 S. Madison, Suite 101, Spokane, Wash.
