Nectar of the suds

Until now, around here, the name Nectar has meant wine – specifically, the co-op winery tasting room in downtown Spokane.

But there’s plenty for beer fans to like at the new Nectar Wine and Beer offshoot in Kendall Yards, which officially opens Friday.

There are 16 rotating taps in the bright, airy bar space overlooking the Spokane River (with a soon-to-be-packed patio). Six will be devoted to a featured Northwest brewery each month, starting with lager specialist Orlison from Airway Heights.

Along with the usual Clem’s Gold and India Pale Lager, the lineup includes the previous limited-release Roast House coffee stout and Hops’In dry-hopped pilsner, the new seasonal Shut Up & Rye’d rye IPL and Orlison’s experimental first ale, a bright, crisp IPA.

Flights are available with four-ounce pours of each beer. Brewery representatives will be on hand for tastings the first Thursday of each month, starting next week with Orlison.

The remaining taps are likewise divided between suspects both usual (Ballast Point Sculpin, Bale Breaker Field 41) and less so (Logsdon Farmhouse Kili Wit). Other initial Inland Northwest offerings include No-Li Mosh Pit, Ramblin’ Road Plowed and Paradise Creek’s Kugar Kolsch, as well as Liberty Ciderworks Macintosh SV.

“Our center is going to be local, and we’ll radiate out from there,” says Ben Simons (pictured above), who oversees the beer operation.

Another 100 bottled beers are available in the retail shop up front, again a mix of familiar and more uncommon. You can choose one of those and pop it in the bar for an extra $1.50.

That fee is waived if you join the Growler Club, which also gets you discounts on growler fills, bottle purchases and Thursday wine and beer tastings.

Food is available from neighboring Veraci Pizza, along with in-house meat and cheese plates and beer-candied bacon.

It’s all housed in the typically stylish surroundings created by Hurtado/Hissong Design Group, with light concrete floors and an open black ceiling warmed by a large wooden archway over the plush seating area between the bottle shop and more minimalist bar.

Hours start at 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday, through 10 p.m. (11 on Friday and Saturday; closed Mondays).