Going, going Argonne

Spokane Regional Transportation Council photo

Argonne Road is well on its way to becoming Beer Street in the Spokane Valley.

Millwood Brewing is taking its first solid steps on the north end, newcomer V Twin Brewing is making steady progress in the middle and Badass Backyard Brewing is looking to relocate its taproom to the south. The details:

MILLWOOD: The long-planned brewery in the former Cunningham Studio at 9013 E. Frederick (a block west of Argonne) is starting to put its pieces together.

A 10-barrel brew system was ordered last week from Hayden’s highly regarded LaBreck Stainless Works (which has also supplied the likes of MickDuff’s, Mad Bomber and the downtown brewery incubator), architectural plans have been submitted to the county for review and applications are in for state and federal brewing licenses.

“Things are looking good,” says co-owner Chuck Watkins, who’s hoping for an October opening. “We’re just going through the mountain of paperwork now.”

The name was changed from the former Mill Towne to avoid any potential trademark issues, he says.

V TWIN: Brewing equipment should start arriving this month for the motorcycle-themed brewery in a commercial strip at 2302 N. Argonne, Suite H (behind Glass Gods, across from McDonald’s, pictured above).

Co-owner/brewer Barry Black will have a 3.5-barrel electric setup from Colorado Brewing Systems that allows him to make 100-gallon batches of two different beers at the same time, or a single 200-gallon batch.

Construction continues on the space, and he’s awaiting his state and federal licenses. “If all goes well we hope to open in August, but fear September,” Black says.

BADASS: The already operating Millwood brewery is negotiating for space in the shopping area south of the freeway at Argonne and Mission (where Safeway formerly was located).

It recently learned that it can’t continue serving customers at its home-based brewery off Trent Avenue without costly improvements to bring it up to code. The new location also will have plenty of parking, which became an issue as Badass grew more popular.

There’s no projected opening date for the taproom yet, says owner/brewer Charlene Honcik, who adds that the single-barrel brewery operation itself “is staying in the backyard.”

BOTTLES: Back on the north end, in the meantime, don’t forget about this wine and beer shop next to Rocket Bakery at 3319 N. Argonne, which has an extensive bottled beer selection along with 18 taps for pours by the pint or growlers to go.