Summer is a time for escaping the everyday for new adventures, visits to the lake with friends and family, backyard barbecues, camping with beer pong, road trips with pit stops for childhood snacks and sodas, and other sunny fun-time shenanigans. For your 2023 summer holiday, enjoy oodles of flights without ever stepping foot in the airport, support a good cause, meet new people, and learn something new.
LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT
There are countless beverage flights in the Inland Northwest, literally something for everyone — all ages, all tastes, in various price ranges and baggage and reservations are not required. This is just a sampling of what's available in the Inland Northwest. Grab a notebook, a favorite pen, then hit the road to relish and recollect your favorite tastes and treats.
If you fancy trying a new wine, or if you're new to wine altogether, check out Nectar Wine and Beer or Maryhill Winery in Kendall Yards. Not a fan of wine, but like fruity drinks? Check out the cider flights ($10 on Tuesdays) at One Tree Hard Cider downtown; this summer they're bringing back their famous cider floats — float flight, anyone?
If your tastes favor treats from south of the border, try a tequila or margarita flight ($22-$24) at DeLeon's Taco & Bar. Nearby No-Li Brewhouse offers seltzer flights ($15) and Bark, A Rescue Pub serves up mimosa flights ($15). If beer is your thing, head to Mountain Lakes Brewing Co. for a local beer flight ($11). Or, for something stronger, try a spirit flight ($5 for three 1/3-ounce pours) at Dry Fly Distilling or a whiskey flight ($15-$21) at Purgatory Craft Beer and Whiskey Bar.
If you have kids or teetotalers in your party, check out Revival Tea Company downtown with their tea, coffee or hot chocolate flights ($12). Yes, please! In North Idaho, you can enjoy a flight of coffee with a seasonal latte flight ($12) at Vault Coffee.
After a few of these flights, try some at home! Grab a few small mini bottles of your favorite cocktail mixers, wine, or sodas, invite over some friends, light up the patio fire pit, and see which bevvy gets the most "likes." And remember, this fun can be shared with the kids, too — make floats, mocktails, and concocted soda mixes!
LET'S GET PHYSICAL!
Area drinkeries have stepped up their game this summer. Natural 20 Brewing Co. said "Let's not not have a beer pong tournament..." and went with a water pong tournament. It's on June 24 and there will be prizes.
Three different events include yoga and a bevvy while another asks you to get on the water. Yoga + Wine ($20) is at Liberty Lake Wine Cellars on June 24 — BYO yoga mat. On July 16 and Aug. 20, Genus Brewing is offering Yoga + Beer ($20), and throughout the summer, you can book a Yoga + Mimosa cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene, which is offered every Thursday morning in July and August for $35 per person (tickets at cdacruises.com). My DIY "yoga and..." event will include yoga + nap + whiskey sour. What will your "yoga and..." activity include?
DO SOME GOOD
You say charity event, I say "Is this a commemorative glass?" Dozens of events will raise money for local charities this summer, but here are a few that also promise a good time, good food, a great cause, and a tipple or two. Before June 17, grab a ticket ($75) for Bourbon, Bacon, and Brews benefiting Teen & Kid Closet in Spokane.
The inaugural Post Falls Lions Brewfest is making its debut on June 24. Tickets ($25) get you unlimited tasting from 10 local breweries, and proceeds benefit the American Legion-affiliated club.
Ales for the Trail on Saturday, Aug. 19 benefits the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation and features oodles of local beers, wines, and ciders. Tickets are $35 through June 30, and go up to $45 after or at the door. Get yours at nictf.org/ales.
If you are looking to declutter and donate this summer, don't miss Fresh Wine Bar's Sip & Swap on June 30 in Coeur d'Alene. A $19 ticket gets you a drink, trips to the charcuterie buffet, and free stuff! All leftover items (housewares only, no clothing) will be donated to local thrift shops. This might be another DIY for my summer schedule — gather friends, swap items you intend to donate, and share a cocktail or pie. That or a lemonade stand.
MEET NEW PEOPLE
If you're new to the area or haven't been out much since the pandemic, it's time to get out and meet new people. These awesome events are suitable for dates, fun with friends, or people-watching.
On Aug. 13, the Spokane Indians baseball team plays Oregon's Hillsboro Hops and are also celebrating with Augtoberfest. Grab a ticket ($25) and join the fun!
Coeur d'Alene hosts two community beer fests, the Downtown Coeur d'Alene Brewfest in McEuen Park on July 8 and its early fall Oktoberfest on Sept. 15-16. Tickets for both events go fast, so act quickly (visit cdadowntown.com for details).
In downtown Spokane, don't miss the third annual Tacos Y Tequila Festival block party Aug. 26-27, which benefits the Hispanic Business/Professional Association of Spokane and its Nuestras Raíces community center. No ticket is required, just show up, purchase some tacos and a drink, and enjoy the ambiance of live music.
You can even step inside the Central Library nearby and check out a great book on winning friends and influencing people! Who knows, it could lead to a beautiful friendship.
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LEARN SOMETHING
Summer is the time to pick up a new hobby or learn a new skill. Life slows down a little and allows us a few moments for our favorite pastimes, passions, and hobbies. Why not take a class about coffee, wine, or cocktails?
Doma Coffee in Post Falls hosts coffee education/brewing classes in July — your inner barista will thank you later. Pend Oreille Winery in Sandpoint hosts a sushi and wine class on June 20, and tickets ($100) include food, wine, training, and live music. It's a great opportunity to learn from a professional sushi chef and take your newfound knowledge home to impress the neighbors.
Take advantage of the expertise of local cocktail historian Renée Cebula of Raising the Bar and Hogwash Whiskey Den's master mixologist Simon Moorby when they team up to host three Camp Cocktail courses this summer. You choose your class based on a location of interest: London (June 18), Paris (July 9) or Havana (Aug. 6). Tickets ($75 per session) include three crafted drinks, mixology and history lessons, appetizers, and a cocktail recipe booklet. Get me to London! Register at raisingthebarnw.com.
Whatever your summer plans, you can include some fresh and flavorful bevvies at home, around the campfire or out with friends. ♦
