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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

No-Li’s Irvin moving on

Rick Bonino

It’s what you might call the end of an era for Spokane craft beer.

Mark Irvin, who launched Northern Lights Brewing back in 1993 and has seen it grow into the current No-Li Brewhouse, is leaving the brewery to catch his breath.

With No-Li poised for a major expansion, “it seemed like a logical time to regroup and assess where I am in life,” says Irvin, who turns 51 today.

“It’s not like I’m burned out on beer altogether, but at the same time, I’m not up to the level of commitment that’s going to be required.”

John Bryant, the national craft beer veteran who partnered with Irvin three years ago to create the rebranded No-Li, sees it as the passing of a torch.

“He built Northern Lights through ingenuity, creativity, perseverance,” Bryant says. “We’re going to take that torch and honor the legacy Mark created. There’s a continued journey ahead.”

Irvin is the last link to the first wave of craft breweries here in the 1990s, with names like Fort Spokane, Birkebeiner, Bayou, Big Horn and Sweetwater. 

An Eastern Washington University business school graduate, he worked at Coeur d’Alene Brewing and then Hale’s Ales in Kirkland, Colville and Spokane before opening Northern Lights in October 1993 in Airway Heights, distributing beer out of the back of his pickup truck.

The brewery moved to the former Bayou location along the riverfront off Hamilton and Trent in 2002 and added a restaurant. It plugged along steadily until the arrival of Bryant, formerly of such major players as Deschutes, Odell and Oskar Blues, kicked things into a higher gear.

Production has soared from around 1,500 barrels in 2011 to an expected 10,000 this year, and the beers are distributed throughout the Northwest and beyond.

“I know John’s goal when he came here was to grow the local craft beer scene,” Irvin says of the recent explosion of local breweries.  “I think we have to take some credit for that growth.”

At the same time, No-Li has outgrown its current operation and is planning a major new production facility over the next year.

“The next phase is going to require putting a lot of collateral up for the expansion,” Irvin says. “A big part of it for me is, was I willing to commit the financial resources, the time and energy to make this thing fly. I just felt it wasn’t the right thing for me at this time.”

He’ll remain with No-Li in a consulting role for a year, while his daily brewmaster duties are assumed by brewery operations manager Damon Scott and lead brewer Carey Fristoe.

“I’m confident that every beer I taste from No-Li is going to be great in the future,” Irvin says. “These guys are passionate about beer. They hit the pitches when they come by.”

As for his own future, Irvin’s immediate priority is to decompress and spend time with wife Stacy and their two teen sons. An avid cyclist, he also plans to “get back on the bike pretty hard-core.”

After that, he says, he might return to brewing in some capacity, or pursue other interests outside the industry.

“I really don’t know, and I’m OK with that,” he says. “I don’t want to rush it, I just want to be able to chill and think about it. A lot of doors are open to me, potentially.”