Chapter and anniversary
In the local craft beer community, “A” stands for August, and for anniversary.
No fewer than four such celebrations are on tap for this weekend, at Badass Backyard, Laughing Dog, Orlison and Steady Flow Growler House:
– Steady Flow has a two-day party to mark its second year of operation Friday and Saturday starting at 11 a.m.
The first 25 people through the door receive free koozies for growlers on Friday and crowlers on Saturday. Both days, get $2 off regular 64-ounce growler fills and $3 off three-packs of 32-ounce crowler cans.
A Crux pint night Friday will feature the Farmhouse, Flanders-style Better Off Red and Half Hitch imperial IPA. An all-day parking lot party Saturday will include a pair of Paradise Creek specialties – a lambic and an infused IPA – along with games and prizes.
And both days, while they last, look for the likes of pFriem’s Kumquat Farmhouse, Dogfish Head Lupu-Luau IPA, Ballast Point Orange Vanilla Fathom, Deschutes 2016 Abyss, Georgetown’s Raspberry Gose and Rocketman IPA, Grand Teton Oud Bruin, Avery Raspberry Sour, Waddell's habanero-spiked Strawberry Wildfire, No-Li’s guava/blueberry Unbreakable Sour, Avery Mephistopheles imperial stout, Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee Belgian-style quad and Locust Watermelon Cider.
– Also in the Valley, Badass celebrates its second anniversary Friday from 2 to 11 p.m. with three new beer releases – a blood orange Mojo Dandy Shandy, Terrain Red IPA with Ekuanot hop powder and Rossi Coffee Stout with Bumper Crop cold brew – along with the Aboutoo Cream Ale from Nu Home Brew’s Genus Brewing and Whiskey Barrel Cider’s Dam Hard and Fubarb.
Try your hand at the keg toss contest starting at 4 for your choice of a hat, shirt or tank top. The One Night Stand BBQ truck will be on hand, with food also available from neighboring Chan Bistro.
– Orlison has been around since 2009 (counting its inception as Golden Hills), but its downtown taproom is turning two. The celebration Saturday from 2 to 9 p.m. will feature an array of specialty beers including gin barrel-aged Toasted Dragon Asian-style lager, both regular and rye whiskey barrel-aged Southern Sun IPA, a coffee amber, a Belgian-style pale and an American pale with Lemondrop and Huell Melon hops.
There also will be prize raffles, cornhole games and food from the Shameless Sausages truck.
– And in North Idaho, Laughing Dog has a full decade on everyone else with its 12th anniversary party Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. Look for an anniversary nut brown ale, the Old Tin Can burger truck, music by Harold’s IGA from 2 to 6 and a bicycle raffle to benefit Panhandle Animal Shelter (drawing at 5:45 p.m., must be present to win).
Sadly, it will be the first anniversary without the original laughing dog of label-art fame, Benny – who passed away last December at age 13 – though his son Ruger carries on the family tradition.