What's Hoppin' this Week? 5/1

Happy May everyone! The April showers are behind us and it looks like sunny skies ahead. Lots to celebrate this week from Bloomsday to the Kentucky Derby and Cinco De Mayo, and, as always, WHTW is your one stop shop for beer events around town. Cheers!

Thursday, May 2nd

- Idaho Pour Authority in Sandpoint is hosting an event to raise money for "Idaho Gives" - a 24-hour long fundraising drive to raise money and celebrate the work of Idaho-based, non-profit organizations statewide. Several organizations will be on hand to talk about their work and help coordinate donations and there will be raffles and other fun stuff. 5 to 8 pm. Facebook.

- Bellwether is having a party to release their newest beer, an "aged, onion ale" appropriately called "Layers" which is brewed with chives and onion flowers. It sounds too interesting to pass up. 3 to 9 pm. Facebook.

- Hayden's Kilted Growler Tap House is hosting a tap takeover and bingo night featuring beers from Colorado's Odell's Brewing from 5 to 8 pm. Facebook.

- Up North Distillery in Post Falls is brining in Sandpoint's MickDuff's Brewing for a tap takeover from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Facebook.

Friday, May 3rd

- First Friday means another garage party for River City Brewing from 4 to 10 pm. There will be food and art as usual, but they are also hosting an open mic night for live entertainment so all those musically-inclined folks out there should sign up. Full details on Facebook.

- Community Pint is celebrating Maifest, the traditional German celebration for the beginning of Spring. They will be featuring several German and German-style beers on Tap and Frankie's Live Fire Catering will be on hand with a special German-themed menu on both Friday and Saturday. Facebook.

- From 5 to 8 pm, Bellwether is hosting a fundraiser for River's Wish Animal Sanctuary. They will be raffling off a painting by local artist Kirsten Stobie who will also be displaying other featured works in the taproom. Raffle tickets are $5. Facebook.

- Slate Creek Brewing in CD'A is hosting their monthly bingo benefit to raise money for the Inland NW Food Network from 7 to 10 pm. Facebook.

Saturday, May 4th

- Paragon Brewing in Coeur d'Alene is celebrating their 5th anniversary all day from 11 am to 9 pm. They will be offering special food and beer pairings, games and music. Congrats on five years! Facebook.

- Iron Goat Brewing is releasing the first of the ales produced by their Goatworks Mixed Fermentation project. This release is a Brett IPA with hops from Australia and New Zealand. Bottles will be available for purchase and your $6 entry gets you a 5-oz sampler of this release and a 5-oz preview of their next release. Also the brewers will be on hand to talk about the project and give tours. Facebook.

- While you are at Iron Goat, you can also stop by the gear swap and meetup of the local home-brew organization Inland Brewers Unite, from 11 to 3 pm in the Iron Goat Patio. If you're interesting in getting started in brewing beer or have gear to trade or sell, this is the event for you. Facebook.

- Mad Bomber Brewing in Hayden is holding their annual fundraiser for the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Warrior Foundation, a non-profit that supports the families and service members doing this extremely dangerous job in all branches of the military. There will be a raffle, live music and 20% of the sales will be donated to this great cause. Facebook.

- Coeur d'Alene's Daft Badger Brewing is celebrating Cinco De Mayo a day early with a taco festival starting at noon. They will have 3 different taco stations set up with beer pairings at each, and a DJ playing music all day leading up to a dance party from 7 to 8 pm. Facebook.

- Hopped Up Brewing the Spokane Valley is hosting an amateur BBQ competition from 3 to 6 pm. Facebook.

- English Setter Brewing is celebrating Star Wars Day all day long with a special beer release, trivia and a costume contest. Facebook.

What's Hoppin' this Week? 3/27

Spring is finally here and as the rest of the snow starts to melt, it's time to put away the winter clothes and put the barrel-aged stouts back into the cellar for next year. We've got events this week to that can help begin your transition to the longer days and warmer weather ahead. Cheers! 🍻

Thursday, March 28th

- Steady Flow Growler House in the Valley is hosting a Bingo night with Georgetown brewing from 6 to 8 pm. Facebook.

Saturday, March 30th

- English Setter Brewing is hosting a craft beer 101 course from 4 to 6 pm. For $25, you will be able to taste and learn about several varieties of beers from expert local brewers and expand your knowledge and vocabulary to impress all your friends. Space is very limited so reserve your spot ASAP. Facebook.

- Nectar is hosting a beer pairing dinner featuring Advanced Cicerone beer expert Bobby Wood from 6 to 9 pm. Bobby will be bringing special beers to pair with a menu created by Nectar Catering's head chef and will be talking about the process of properly pairing beer and food. Note that this event is at the Nectar Catering and Event space in downtown Spokane, not at their beer and wine bar in Kendall Yards. Space is limited. Facebook.

Monday, April 1st

- Bellwether is also hosting a beer pairing dinner featuring food from both Inland Curry and Sandpoint Curry from 6 to 8 pm. Tickets should be purchased in advance. Facebook.

Wednesday, April 3rd

- The Idaho Pour Authority in Sandpoint will be hosting a pint night to benefit local non-profit Angels Over Sandpoint. Grand Teton Brewing will also be in the house with raffle items and other fun stuff. Facebook.

- Brandywine Bar and Bottle Shop will be offering a special tasting of beers from Scottish brewery, Traquair starting at 5 pm. Facebook.

What's Hoppin' this Week? 1/16

Hey everyone. Things are finally starting to pick back up in the beer scene around town now that we are fully into 2019 and the holidays are well behind us. Plenty of stuff to cover so let's get right to it. Cheers!

Thursday, January 17th

- Community Pint is going back into their cellar and putting together a special flight of 5 special barrel aged beers from the Northwest and beyond. Pouring from noon to 8 pm. Facebook.

- Bellwether is releasing it's newest ProAm collaboration with Jake Huss, the winner of a recent homebrew competition sponsored by (and using grains from) Joseph's Grainery. The saison they brewed will be available from 3 to 9 pm, but stop in between 5 and 8 if you want to meet the folks behind the beer. Facebook.

- The Riverbank Taphouse - the newest edition to Northern Quest Resort and Casino - is hosting a party to celebrate the release of several new beers from Post Falls Brewing from 5 to 7 pm. Reps from Post Falls will be on hand and there will be pint specials and giveaways throughout the evening. I got a chance to check the place out tonight, and I was impressed. NorthernQuest.com

- The Lantern's annual winter beer fest kicks off on Thursday at 4 pm and runs till Saturday. Each day has different options, but they will be featuring 28 winter beers from 24 different breweries. Tasting packages start at $15 and include a commemorative tasting glass. Check out Facebook for full details of each day.

Friday, January 18th

- Iron Goat is hosting a special pint night to benefit local Spokane non-profit, Global Neighborhood. From 5 to 9 pm, $1 from each pint sold will be donated and there will be live music. Facebook.

- Day 2 of the winter brew fest runs from 4 to 10 pm. Facebook.

Saturday, January 19th

- Daft Badger Brewing in CD'A is turning 4 years old and celebrating with a party from noon to 8 pm in their taproom. Food specials, live music and a new SMaSH IPA will be released to commemorate the event. Congrats on 4 Years!!! Facebook.

- Quartzite Brewing in Chewelah is celebrating their 3rd anniversary with events all weekend culminating in their big party from 2 to 9 pm. Beer specials, a food truck and commemorative pints will be available. Facebook. 

- Wallace Brewing is continuing their month-long celebration of their 10 year anniversary with their official anniversary party featuring live music, food, fun and games. 5 to 9 pm. Facebook.

- The final day of the Lantern's winter brew fest kicks off at 4 pm. Facebook.

Sunday, January 20th

- Iron Goat is staging their first in-house beer dinner, pairing five courses and five beers starting at 6:15 pm. Tickets are $60 and extremely limited so stop by or call to reserve your spot ASAP. The full menu and more details are available on Facebook.

Monday, January 21st

- North Spokane favorite, Waddell's Brewpub and Grille is also celebrating their 5th anniversary with a party from 6 to 8 pm. They will be releasing 4 specialty beers and giving away prizes all night. Facebook.

Tuesday, January 22nd

- Iron Goat is starting an educational series about the beer-making process and the first one is all about how different yeast varieties can change beer. $16 gets you a flight of the specially brewed beer that they exposed to six different yeast strains so you can taste how each strain changes the character of the beer. There will also be a yeast expert on hand to explain the process and answer questions. There are 3 separate sessions (4:30 pm, 6 pm and 7:30 pm) each with space for only 12 people, so buying tickets in advance is encouraged. Facebook.

Wednesday, January 23rd

- The Idaho Pour Authority, a beer bar in Sandpoint, is hosting a fundraiser for the Kaniksu Land Trust. There will be a silent auction, raffles, live music and beer from 12 String Brewing. Facebook.