Being positioned close to the Walla Walla valley and arid Columbia River Valley has made Spokane's wines a hit and made wine a growing sector of the Spokane economy.But Spokane's beers cannot be ignored,new breweries are poping up and fast.I'm sure part of the beer craze has been to due with the state of the economy as the poorer the people get the more beer and the like are consumed but this is one spot where I hope the economy stays bad for a little while longer as Spokane's wineries are great but it's brewhouses are deserving of their day too.Spokane has it's long time brewery in Northern Lights Brewery at 1003 E Trent Ave. near Gonzaga and in the Riverwalk shopping center,Their products are also sold in many local grocery stores and also The Coeur d Alene Brewing Company which had been in Coeur d Alene till their landlord would not renew their lease in favor of his restaurant,Seasons of Coeur d Alene which ended up taking the brewery's former home.Today Coeur d Alene's beers are harder to find as they are made and sold from The Steam Plant Grill Restaurant in Downtown Spokane.But Spokane has been buzzing with new beers,even one winery is getting in on the beer buzz(pun intended) as Arbor Crest Winery plans to make 2 microbrews at their iconic Winery next year overlooking Spokane Valley.Other beer makers in Spokane that have begun recently are..Golden Hills Brewery located at 12921 W 17th in Airway Heights,They have no walk-in location or taproom that I know of but can be found in many of Spokane's bars including The Q at Northern Quest Casino,I've only had one of Golden Hills brews but on a personal level I would recommend.Another Brewery is Budge Bros. Brewery at 2018 E. Riverside Suite 1 in the International District(formerly the East Central neighborhood ) they do have a walk-in site and offer a beer called Spokamber Ale among others,I have yet to find their beers in a store but are another new business that should be in Spokane for awhile.And then there is the reason why i'm ranting on about local beer today because this is the opening weekend for Spokane Valley's new 12 String Brewing Co. located at 11616 E Montgomery Ave Suite 26 in Spokane Valley they do have a taproom and several bars in Spokane are supposed to be selling their beers.
But all this talk of Spokane's many new breweries makes one remember that beer is still growing in North Idaho as well,a recent Coeur d Alene Press article pointed out the success of Sandpoint's Laughing Dog Brewery at 1109 Fontaine Blvd in Ponderay,Their beers seem to be everywhere now and they have only been open since 2005 proving the beer is a hot industry.Also in North Idaho will be Selkirk Abbey Brewing at 6180 E. Seltice Way,I know little of them but their Twitter feed does say they will have a taproom.Wallace Brewing in Wallace has enjoyed growth as well and some of there products now appear in bottles at some grocery stores in North Idaho and North Idaho Mountain Brewery is also new and in Wallace at 108 Nine Mile Rd. They are within The City Limits Pub.
Beer is big business for Spokane and the region and hopfully all these new businesses will help put Spokane even more on the map.
