Hauling Badass across state lines

Badass Backyard is bringing its beer to Coeur d’Alene.

The Spokane Valley brewery on Saturday opens a satellite taproom in the back of the Coeur d’Alene Fresh retail complex. Hours will be Thursday through Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. (8 on Friday-Saturday).

It’s the first in what could be a series of brewery outlets in the “general store” at 317 E. Coeur d’Alene Ave., which features works by a variety of artisans.     

The 80-square-foot space will have only four taps and five seats. “It’s really small, kind of like a speakeasy, almost,” Badass owner Charlene Honcik says.

It’s a temporary way to test the waters in North Idaho, says Honcik, who grew up in the Coeur d’Alene area. If all goes well, she says, Badass could eventually open a larger, permanent taproom and a second brewery.

For now, she and partner Kendra Wiiest are busy running their home-based brewery and nearby taproom in the Argonne Mission Center. It’s open seven days a week with the recent addition of Monday hours.

“We’ve gone from one day a month to every day,” says Honcik, who started serving her beers at home the first Saturday of each month in August 2015. “We definitely took the long route, but it’s been fun.”

Production is expected to double this year, to 240 barrels, thanks to a new 3.5-barrel brewing system, up from the previous half-barrel. That’s allowed limited distribution to accounts including nYne Bar & Bistro and Lost Boys’ Garage.

The next step is adding a cooling system for more control over the brewing process. To pay for that, Badass has launched a growler club; for $200, you get a stainless steel MiiR growler and lifetime discounts on fills, among other perks.

“We’re going to get glycol and make better beer,” Honcik says.

The old system still is used for two small-batch releases each Thursday, based largely on customer requests. Up this week are a hazy New England-style IPA and a sweet milk stout.