Understanding European soccer leagues can be complicated. But watching a match with your favorite beer doesn't have to be.
At least that's the thought behind Hat Trick Brewing, a comfy, casual new taproom on Maxwell Avenue in Spokane's West Central neighborhood. Three friends turned an old cafe into the neighborhood's biggest living room, complete with an ever-changing selection of small-batch brews and fresh bites, plus every early morning Premier League "football" game.
For a few years, Nick Coons, Christopher Anderson, and Remington Oatman, all previously of River City Brewing, dreamed of running a small-scale brewery for their own friends in their own neighborhood. Coons, a die-hard Arsenal FC fan from Southern California, had slowly converted Anderson and Oatman from general soccer fans to Arsenal "Gooners" as well. The three noticed there weren't any options in Spokane to grab a beer and watch Premier League games, which are televised at 7 or 8 in the morning on this side of the pond. They decided to change that.
With 30 years of brewing experience between them and a new niche to fill, the trio seem set for success all on their own. A hat trick, after all, is one player single-handedly scoring three goals in one game. But from the get-go, Hat Trick Brewing was a project by and for the neighborhood.
When red tape almost shuttered the business before it ever opened, a crowd-sourced GoFundMe campaign raised over $11,000 to help save it. A few months after opening, regular customers have already donated personal touches to make the space their own. Local artist Christina Deubel finger painted a custom mural, and one new neighbor asked Hat Trick to hang a soccer scarf he brought with him all the way from Ukraine.
"We live here, we work here, we're a part of West Central," Coons says. "This is our home."
Hat Trick isn't a sports bar. There are only four modestly sized screens, and one is currently showing a furry, green, Grinch-y Jim Carrey instead of a toned British athlete. A Toys for Tots box is in the corner next to a Christmas tree (a donation gets half off your first pint). Half the space has tables for four and a bar, while the other half has blue velvet armchairs, coffee tables and board games. Sports scarves hanging from the ceiling create cozy vibes. Two pinball machines are tucked in the back corner (including one based on the '94 World Cup). Big street-facing windows let in lots of light and views of the neighborhood.
Hat Trick is where friends can meet on Sunday morning to catch Liverpool vs. Manchester United, or where the West Central Neighborhood Council can hold its holiday meeting. Half the beers are lower than 6% ABV, so you don't have to worry about getting hammered. For $8, grab a pint of Keeping it Mild, an English mild ale at 4.1% ABV, or I'm Going on Break, a dry Irish stout at 4.2%.
If it's past 5 pm, try Trickonometry, a West Coast IPA collab with YaYa Brewing Co. and Genus Brewing. Or get a smaller pour of Coffee Break, a Baltic porter with two blends of beans from Anvil Coffee.
The thing is, with a two-barrel system that only produces four kegs a batch, beers are rotating in and out of the taproom every week. There will probably be something new to try every time you visit, thanks to the creativity and playfulness of the Hat Trick brewers.
"The variety of ingredients that you can use in beer is just so vast," Oatman says. "There's so much stuff to play with. We've all been brewing for quite some time now, and there's still plenty of ingredients that I've never used."
The Hat Trick Challenge is already in place for January, a friendly competition with Genus and Whistle Punk Brewing. Each team draws a random ingredient and has to create a new brew with it.
"It's a way to push people out of their comfort zone a little bit and also bring the communities of different breweries together," Oatman says. "At the end of the day, we're in the beer industry, and the beer industry should be fun."
"If you're not having a good time, go do something else," Coons chimes in.
To the delight of gourmet drinkers everywhere, Anderson's idea of a good time is brewing a true sour beer, one that's fermented in barrels for years in a long, expensive, uncontrollable process.
Anderson's gosé, Frilly Toothpicks is on the menu right now, aged in oak for two years, so precious and sour that it's only available in a 5- or 10-ounce pour ($10).
But fear not — if you're a fan of fermentation, there's plenty more to choose from on the drink and food menu. Hat Trick loves good food just as much as good beer and doesn't need a fryer to make you come back for dinner. Snag a plate of spicy house-pickled veggies ($8) or eat 'em on top of a pork banh mi sandwich ($16). The tomatoes and burrata small plate features a house-fermented tomato sauce ($15). Or, just get a grilled cheese for your kid ($4) and a classy grilled cheese for yourself ($11).
"It's not complicated," Coons says. "It's pretty crazy how complicated some people make it seem. But we love doing it. We like to make good food and eat good food and drink good beer. And that's it. So far, everyone that's come in has been pretty much on board with it."
Another no brainer for the trio? Giving back.
"Breweries aren't known for making a ton of money, but we're just the right type of idiots that like to give away as much as we can," Coons says.
Hat Trick donates a percentage of all Sunday profits to a charity of their choosing. Right now, the money goes to Shriners Children's Spokane, but the brewery will choose a new organization every quarter or so. This spring, the trio plans to use their parking lot for flea markets and plenty of concerts, always with a charitable beneficiary.
"I don't want to make a million dollars," Anderson adds. "I want people to understand that I live here and this is what I'm proud of."
Anderson is a true Spokane native, growing up in Millwood but spending lots of weekends with his cousins in West Central. He would spend Sunday afternoons with uncles in Maxwell House, an iconic pub beloved by the neighborhood for over 50 years, just down the street from Hat Trick.
"I ran around this neighborhood growing up — it has changed quite a bit, but it also hasn't changed as much as a lot of people think it has," Anderson says. "Outside of Maxwell House, there really wasn't anything here for all these neighbors. And now we're here. It's pretty cool. It's a good neighborhood." ♦
Hat Trick Brewing • Open Mon, Wed-Fri noon-close, Sat 7 am-10 pm, Sun 10 am-10 pm • 1913 W. Maxwell Ave. • hattrickbrewing spokane.com • 509-315-4367
