Craft Beer Week: Friday

Thank God it's Friday and we've made it through the first four days of Spokane (and American) Craft Beer Week. Here's what's in store for today, for those still standing (check back throughout the day for late-breaking updates):

–Twelve String releases its rum barrel-aged, Mojito-infused Golden Strong Ale starting at noon, to be accompanied by a special Caribbean jerk chicken wrap from the 3 Ninjas food truck this evening.

– The four finalists – a saison, coffee stout, Green Bullet-hopped IPA and Citra dry-hopped pineapple Berliner Weisse – square off in Orlison's Backyard Beers of Summer homebrew contest starting at 4, with the winner (determined by your vote) having their recipe commercially brewed and served in the taproom.

– The Brewers Showdown homebrewers competition continues at Bellwether, along with the release of a bottle-conditioned hot pepper saison and  live music by the Marco Polo Collective at 8 ($6 cover).

– The South Hill Growler Guys welcomes Fremont for a tasting from 4 to 7, with the Summer Ale, Session Pale, Dark Heron IPA, The Sister imperial IPA and bourbon barrel-aged Abominable (better known as B-BOMB).

– From 5 to 7, Steady Flow Growler House (which is now doing Crowlers) features beers by newcomers Young Buck and Little Spokane from the downtown brewery incubator, with $1 from each growler or pint purchase supporting the incubator's soon-to-open Steel Barrel taproom; the Mac Daddy's gourmet mac-and-cheese food truck will provide nourishment.

– The Coeur d'Alene Growler Guys celebrates its six-month anniversary all day with 60 cents off pints, $6 pizzas and $6 crowler fills of selected local beers and ciders.

– Black Label taps a firkin of its Palouse SMaSH collaboration with Badass Backyard, brewed with locally produced Palouse Pint malt, at 6 p.m. ($2 pints) with Palouse Pint's Joel Williamson on hand from 5 to 7 followed by live music with Haley Young and Jay Condiotti.

– The Palouse SMaSH also will be pouring from 4 to 8 at Badass (usually open only on Saturdays).

– Hopped Up has a daylong release party for its Palouse English Pale Ale, also made with Palouse Pint malt, with Williamson stopping by from 7 to 9; don't forget the weekly special, $8 growler fills with a pint purchase.

– Waddell's is pouring its new summer seasonal The Black Berry kettle sour.

– River City's Randall for the weekend is Clocktower IPA over fresh oranges.

– Trickster's taps its Tricky SIMphony (Simcoe single-hop Cascadian dark ale) collaboration with Twelve String. 

– MickDuff's is serving its Sour Blood Orange Saison collaboration with Paradise Creek.

– Sorry, Big Barn's tasting class at the Spokane Valley Total Wine is sold out.

– The Area 51 taphouses at both the downtown and North Side Onion Bar & Grill are holding a local IPA competition all week, with voting on blind taste-test samplers of entries by Bellwether, Big Barn, Orlison, Perry Street, River City, Waddell’s, Wallace and Whistle Punk.

– Perry Street's Ben Lukes and four of his beers will be featured in a Meet the Brewer night from 5 to 7 at Manito Tap House.

– Firestone Walker's 2013 §ucaba barrel-aged barleywine is the day's specialty at The Blackbird.

– The Lantern Tap House is pouring Double Mountain's Off the Wagon Belgian-style barleywine,

– The Flying Goat has New Belgium's La Folie sour brown, while sister restaurant Republic Pi is pouring the Le Terroir dry-hopped sour.

– Steady Flow Growler House and Waddell’s Brewpub have local tap takeovers all week (with a special beer-infused fresh sheet menu at Waddell’s), along with weeklong beer specials at Laughing Dog, Black Label and the Steam Plant plus $8 growler fills at Bennidito's Brewpub.