Cookies and craft

Move over, milk – beer’s here.

The third annual Craft Beer and Cookie Fest, Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Girl Scouts Program Center, 1404 N. Ash St., will feature eight Girl Scout cookie varieties paired with local and regional brews.

“With so many breweries in Spokane, it’s a great way to connect with the community in a different way,” says Stephanie May, events specialist for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.

“Sometimes men aren’t as involved in Girl Scouts, and this is a way to get them involved,” she says. “And they get to drink beer.”

Pairing Girl Scout cookies with beer (and wine) has become increasingly popular online in recent years. The local organization’s first event in 2013 attracted about 100 people, and that doubled last year.

“One of the fun parts of this was going to the breweries, taking them a box of cookies and having them do their own taste-testings,” May says.

The results include:

– Black Label’s Espresso Stout with the iconic Thin Mints.

– Iron Goat’s Goatmeal Stout with peanut butter Do-si-dos.

– Waddell’s Vienna Lager and New Boundary’s Porter with shortbread Trefoils.

– English Setter’s Red Setter Retriever with the caramel-and-coconut Samoas, and On Point Pale with the lemony Savannah Smiles.

– River City Red with the gluten-free Toffee-tastic.

– Lagunitas IPA and chocolate-covered peanut butter Tagalongs.

– Alaskan’s Pumpkin Ale with the new oatmeal Rah-Rah-Raisins.

Admission also includes a bratwurst sandwich from Nick’s Shameless Sausages – either traditional German, or Guinness-flavored – live music by Drew Blincow and games.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. That includes three 4-ounce pours with accompanying cookies and a bratwurst (there’s also an advance option featuring five pours and a souvenir pint glass for $25).

Additional tasting and brat tickets will be available. You must be 21 or older.