Voice of experience

Total Wine is getting a head start on American Craft Beer Week with a pair of events this week, plus a series of tastings.

On Thursday, both Spokane stores are hosting a Support Your Local Craft Breweries class from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with area brewers on hand to talk about their operations and sample their latest creations.

Look for No-Li, River City, Orlison and Selkirk Abbey at the Northpointe store, and Iron Goat, Big Barn, Hopped Up and Wallace in the Spokane Valley. Cost is $15 for beer and pizza; you can pay at the door as available, but if you want to be sure to get a space, register in advance for Northpointe here or Valley here.

And on Friday from 5 to 6 p.m., both locations are joining with Total Wine stores nationwide for a webcast featuring Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman (pictured above) titled “American Hops and Plenty of Passion.”

Grossman will lead a guided tasting of four Sierra beers: Nooner Pils, Pale, Torpedo Extra IPA and the new Hop Hunter IPA, made with distilled fresh hop oils. Pizza is also on the menu.

Cost is $5; preregister for Northpointe here, or the Valley here.

The Total Beer Experience also includes a series of tastings this week and next, starting with Ramblin’ Road at Northpointe on Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. For the full schedule, look here for Northpointe and here for the Valley.