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

National honor for No-Li

Rick Bonino

UPDATE WEDNESDAY 10/14: Check out this video of the No-Li crew receiving their award.

 

No-Li Brewhouse has been named brewery of the year by the national beer distributors’ association.

Spokane’s largest brewery received the inaugural Brewer Partner of the Year award today at the National Beer Wholesalers Association convention in Las Vegas.

“It was so amazing – we’re in this room with 4,000 people, media, brewers, distributors, and here’s little No-Li from Spokane, Washington,” says brewery owner John Bryant.

“Things like this help build the craft beer culture in Spokane,” Bryant says. “It just brings more notoriety to what we’re all doing together.

“It’s one big step, but a lot of them are coming for all of us in Spokane.  We’re all going to keep growing and building it.”

The award recognizes the brewer who does the best job producing quality beer; building strong partnerships; providing education; and offering support to distributors in order to bring their beers to the market.

“No–Li Brewhouse has demonstrated a remarkable ability to work closely with their distributors, working hand-in-hand in their local communities and truly treating the relationship like a partnership,” Craig Purser, the association’s president and CEO, said in a news release.  

“Perhaps there is no better example of No-Li’s close relationship with their distributors than their annual Kan Jam BEERee beer festival held at their brewhouse,” Purser continued.  “At this event, No-Li invites four local distributors to pour the beers of other craft brands in their portfolio, allowing the hundreds of attendees to taste not only No-Li brews, but other brands from around the Pacific Northwest that the distributors have the opportunity to introduce to the Spokane market.

“Events like this, coupled with unique projects – such as working with a local distributor to brew a beer especially for the local minor league baseball team and providing sales incentives that directly benefit local charities of distributors’ choosing – demonstrate that No-Li treats their distributor partners as an extension of their brewer family.”

The association represents 3,300 independent beer distributors throughout the United States.