BEST OF 2018 | Drink Local

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Young Kwak

Dry Fly's Tasting Room Manager Mike Lenox and some of their award-winning booze.

Best Old Fashioned

HOGWASH WHISKEY DEN

Over the past year and a half, Hogwash Whiskey Den has established itself as a joint worth obsessing over, and not only because of their late-night food and warm, underground locale. The Old Fashioned at Hogwash is something remarkable, a simple and traditional blend that cuts to the chase. Smokey, bitter and with a flawlessly sweet citrus finish. (JS)

Best Happy Hour

TWIGS BISTRO & MARTINI BAR

The Spokane-based restaurant chain consistently brings in top numbers for this annual Best Of category, and for good reason. Happy hour conveniently runs daily from 3-6 pm and 9 pm to close at all four of Twigs' Spokane-area locations (downtown, Wandermere, South Hill and Spokane Valley), offering small plates for $6-$8, $2 off its signature martinis, $1 off draft beer and glasses of wine as well as a special for $5 glasses of the house wine. Cheers to that. (CS)

Best Coffee Roaster

THOMAS HAMMER

When you're ready to step above the plastic jug of flat joe that makes you contemplate how soon you can make it to the work bathroom while you're in morning traffic, look no further than local roasters Thomas Hammer. Their Starry Night Sumatran and Signature Blend show their range of roasts with dark and smooth options. (TC)

Best Craft Cocktails

DURKIN'S LIQUOR BAR

When you descend to this speakeasy-styled lounge, the folks at Durkin's are able to transport you to a cocktail bar that has all of the pomp and circumstance of top-notch handcrafted drinks with little of the pretension. Start your weekend or night out with a couple rounds of their stacked whiskey collection or range of crafted drinks. Gin fans: You can't go wrong with their White Linen. (TC)

Best Drive-Through Espresso

DUTCH BROS.

If you've driven down Division at any time from sun up to rush hour, you've seen the Logan area Dutch Bros.'s traffic backed up into the far left lane. And for good reason, the kind and sociable baristas jam pack enough shots into those behemoth cups to make the rest of your day and drive a breeze. Plus, their punch-card game is no joke. (TC)

Best Local Cidery

ONE TREE HARD CIDER

Rotating nine seasonal and year-long ciders is a feat on its own, but to make each one uniquely delicious and robust like One Tree Cider's selection is proof to why they're the top dogs in the region. Their Pumpkin and Cranberry ciders held you over through autumn just in time for their Lemon Basil and Ginger Apricot to let you coast into patio season. (TC)

Best Local Distillery

DRY FLY DISTILLING

Now more than 10 years in the game, Dry Fly Distilling remains a staple of spirit enthusiasts in the Inland Northwest. Their wheat vodka is world renowned and their gin is turning heads for its progressive look at American distilling with its use of locally produced botanicals. A bottle of Dry Fly notes you're not only shopping local, but shopping with a discerning taste. (TC)

Best Local Winery

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS

Prepare yourself for when you make the proper decision to visit the Arbor Crest Cliff House. The venue is about as scenic and breathtaking as its name would suggest and the cellar is a standout option for event planners. But even after you wrap your mind around the view, you'll have to maintain your composure during flights of their collection. Their Dionysus would even make the god of wine and madness himself test his moderation. (TC)

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Angels, er, beer in the outfield of Avista Stadium for the Inland NW Craft Beer Festival.

Best Beer Event/Festival

INLAND NW CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

For the second year in a row, the Washington Beer Commission proved its annual Inland NW Craft Beer Festival is the best around. Pouring 175 different beers from more than 40 Washington breweries, last year's festival had another record attendance. It's the perfect opportunity to drink great beer in the outfield of Avista Stadium, so make sure to check out this year's event happening Sept. 21-22. (DH)

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Young Kwak

Manito's Patrick McPherson with a Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale and chicken wings.

Best Beer Selection At A Pub

MANITO TAP HOUSE

If quality beer is as high of a priority for you as gourmet food, Manito Tap House is more than likely your go-to pub. Think you will be overwhelmed by the number of options from their 50 tap handles and extensive beer cellar? Ask one of the certified cicerones — think sommelier of beer — on staff for suggestions. (DH)

Best Local Brew

NO-LI BORN & RAISED IPA

The best-selling IPA in the region, No-Li Born & Raised is a long-standing local favorite. At 7 percent ABV, it's a versatile beer found at supermarkets, fine-dining restaurants, dive bars and everywhere in between. No-Li drops in a variety of hops, giving it a perfect balance of citrus and piney flavors, making it exactly what you want from a Northwest-style IPA. It's available in 12-ounce cans and bottles, as well as 22-ounce bottles. No-Li dominated this category, placing second and third as well, but the list of readers' favorites runs long: 12 String's Mango Mambo Hefeweizen, Daft Badger's Blood Orange IPA, Iron Goat's Trashy Blonde, Laughing Dog's Dogfather Imperial Stout, Perry Street's New England IPA, Post Falls' Fat Lenny IPA, Orlison's Orangelicious Golden Ale, River City's Red and Whistle Punk's Coast to Coast IPA. (DH)

Best Local Brewery

NO-LI BREWHOUSE

No-Li has managed to continually be the first choice of regional craft beer lovers. Sure, it can be attributed to the consistent quality of their staple beers. But it could also be the copious amounts of speciality beer releases — like the barrel-aged Winter Games series last month — or the multiple tasting events they host throughout the year. Whatever the reason, it's no wonder why it's been dubbed the Best Local Brewery by our readers every year since its rebranding in 2012. (DH)

Best Single-Location Coffee Shop

ATTICUS

A great coffee shop is a blend of quirk, comfort and caffeine, and Atticus, the Boo Radley's-adjacent-cafe, has the perfect ratio of all three. Yeah, there's coffee. There's also a gift shop filled with books and oddities and a slew of Northwest branded loose-leaf tea selections. The only challenge is finding a seat on a weekend.

Now, say it with me, Al Pacino-style: "Atticus! Atticus! Atticus!" (DW)