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

Bigger Bomber turns two

Rick Bonino

A year ago, Mad Bomber was plugging away with a makeshift one-barrel brewing system – complete with primitive plastic fermenters – that struggled to keep the taproom’s eight handles full, or turn out beer of consistent quality.

Now, as it prepares to celebrate its second anniversary Saturday, the Hayden brewery has a shiny 7-barrel system churning out much-improved beers that have been on tap at more than 50 accounts around the area (40 of those repeat customers). The in-house taps have doubled, to 16, and also pour North Idaho Cider and house-made root beer.

“I’m more confident that we’ll still be in business on our next anniversary than I was a year ago,” says co-owner/brewer Tom Applegate.

Mad Bomber will again mark the occasion with the one-day-only release of Black Hand, a barrel-aged imperial porter, but that’s significantly different from last year, too.

 A new yeast has left the beer drier and less chewy – and bumped the alcohol content from 11 percent to 12 – and it was aged in a coveted 8 Feathers bourbon barrel out of Boise, instead of last year’s wheat whiskey barrel. (Some of the Bomber’s Devil Bird Scotch“ish” will go in the barrel when Black Hand comes out, for future release.)

Saturday’s party, which starts when the taproom opens at 11 a.m., will also feature food from Blue Smoke BBQ. There will be additional seating outside (the patio is open to those under 21), but no overflow space inside the building complex housing the brewery, like last year.

“It will be interesting to see what happens if 500 people show up again,” Applegate says, referring to last year’s packed house.

As a prelude to the party, Mad Bomber has been offering half-price pours of $2 pints and $6 growler fills all week.