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

Your weekly roundup

Rick Bonino

Catching up with more news from the past week in local craft beer and beyond:

• There's still time to get discount tickets for the state's biggest beer event, the Washington Brewers Festival on Father's Day weekend (June 16-18) at King County's Marymoor Park. Tickets are $25 per day online through Wednesday, then go up to $30 after that.

The lineup features 130 breweries from throughout the state including locals Iron Goat, No-Li, Orlison, Paradise Creek, River City, Riverport, Steam Plant, Twelve String, Waddell's and Young Buck. Area breweries have showed well in the past, with Paradise Creek pouring the second most beers at last year's event and Iron Goat (8th) and Twelve String (9th) also cracking the Top 10.

This year's Washington Beer Awards also will be announced at the festival. No-Li last year was named Large Brewery of the Year with Big Barn, River City and Waddell's also winning medals.

• Breweries are beginning to be announced for the second annual Spokane Brewers Festival on Aug. 4-5 in the Spokane Arena parking lot. The lineup so far includes Badass Backyard, Black Label, Rants & Raves, River City, Steam Plant, Ten Pin, Top Frog and Young Buck.

• On the packaging front, Young Buck is preparing to put some of its barrel-aged sours into large-format bottles. And to the west, Washington's largest craft brewery, Georgetown – which has been distributed only on draft up to now – has begun canning its Lucille and Bodhizafa IPAs and Roger's Pilsner. Those are expected to start reaching the Spokane area later next month. 

• Finally, all those Spokane Craft Beer Week collaborations may be history (though several still are pouring at partner breweries), but Black Label is putting a new twist on the idea. It's using bread from Common Crumb Artisan Bakery, its neighbor in the Saranac Commons building, in an upcoming Honey Crumbed Kolsch.