Hatching a new plan

Downtown Spokane’s planned brewery incubator is on the move before it even opens.

The project, which will have space for up to five startup breweries, is shifting from the former Public Market space on East Second to the historic Luminaria Building at 154 S. Madison.

An attached Steel Barrel taproom – which also will serve guest beers, wines and spirits along with a limited food menu – is expected to open by October, though the brewery operation could take longer.

“Overall, our brewery space has doubled from our previous location, our taproom has more than doubled in size, and we now have a huge basement for barrel-aging of sours, special release beers and vintage bottle stock,” says Cameron Johnson of Young Buck Brewing, one of two initial tenants along with Little Spokane Brewing.

The new location also puts the incubator in the middle of a growing downtown beer scene. It will be three blocks east of River City’s taproom on Cedar; two blocks east of Iron Goat’s new space at Second and Adams, which also could open this fall; one block south of Orlison’s soon-to-open taproom at 1017 W. First; and two blocks west of the Steam Plant.

“The possibility of arranging a walking downtown brewery tour for the first time in Spokane is exciting,” Johnson said.

The new space will offer seating for around 120 people, including a private event room and an outdoor patio. Johnson says the building’s railroad-days history will be incorporated into the décor and graphics.

Planned food offerings include personal pizzas, gourmet brats, house-pickled vegetables and other small plates. In addition to beer, wine and cocktails (some of those involving beer), homemade kombucha and cold-pressed coffee will pour from some of the 24 taps.

There’s talk of such experiments as incorporating kombucha into the brewing process, and pickling vegetables in sour beer. The brewers also plan to use some locally grown and malted barley from LINC Foods.

“Our goal across the board is to break the mold whenever we can, do everything we can in a different way from what everyone else is doing,” says Peter McArthur, owner of Nu Home Brew in Spokane Valley and a partner in the taproom with Johnson and Little Spokane’s Joe Potter.