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

Roll out the Barrel

Rick Bonino

For a place that isn’t officially open yet, The Steel Barrel taproom at the downtown brewery incubator has been doing bang-up business.

Operating on a word-of-mouth basis since its soft opening three weeks ago, the taproom at 154 S. Madison has “definitely exceeded expectations,” manager Peter McArthur says.

It should be another packed house tonight when The Steel Barrel and its attached Zona Blanca ceviche bar celebrate their grand opening. Doors open at 3, with the festivities hitting full stride starting at 6.

For the first time, the crowd will be able to spill out onto the patio, which is opening for the occasion, where chef Chad White will be roasting a pig for cochinita pibil tostadas. Margaritas and beer-based micheladas will join the usual cocktail offerings.

There also will be a cornhole competition outside, with a shuffleboard tournament inside on the custom-built table plus plenty of merchandise raffles.

Beer-wise, there will be two selections each from in-house breweries Young Buck and Little Spokane. Young Buck’s Cameron Johnson is serving a clean, crisp, lightly tart gose with Himalayan pink salt and coriander (6 percent alcohol by volume, 10 International Bitterness Units) and a dry, acidic Kriek, a sour red barrel-aged with cherries (6.5, 10).

Little Spokane’s Joe Potter is pouring his light but flavorful Bulk Bin Porter (4.4, 40), brewed with barley, rye, wheat, triticale and oats, and an Indian Painted Rocks IPR (6.3, 60) that’s deep red, rich and generously hopped with floral, spicy Centennial.

Such standout selections as Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA, Stone’s Enjoy By 07.04.16 and Alesmith’s Speedway Stout among the rest of the 30 taps will be joined by two new offerings from other downtown breweries: the Steam Plant’s Centennial Barley Wine and River City’s Gose-Way, a “recovery” beer brewed with electrolytes as well as cranberry, orange and acai.

Walking tour maps will be available showing those locations along with Orlison, Black Label and another recent downtown newcomer, Iron Goat, as part of the effort to build a brewery district.