USA, WA: Brick West Brewing Co. expanding with new brewery and taproom

Brick West Brewing Co. is expanding with a new taproom north of Spokane and is planning a new taproom and second brewing facility in West Spokane, near Airway Heights, the Spokane Journal of Business reported on December 15.

Co-owner Jordan Tampien says construction on the planned second brewing facility will likely begin next summer, with a grand opening in summer 2024. Tampien owns Brick West with his brother, Joel Tampien, and another pair of brothers, Matt and Ryan Goodwin. He says the foursome bought the 6-acre site at 1624 S. Spotted Road, just north of Spokane International Airport, in 2020, with the intent to grow the production side of Brick West.

“COVID ramped up canning for us,” Tampien says.

Brick West is heading into its third year of operations at its flagship brewing facility and taproom at 1318 W. First, downtown.

“Now, we’re canning, and we’re getting asked to do contracts, and we can’t produce enough beer, because we’re selling so much (at the downtown taproom),” Tampien says. “We have the demand and the ability. We just literally can’t produce enough.”

Tampien says that Brick West’s income streams are split, with roughly 70% from the tap room, and 30% from distribution sales. He hopes that with the new brewing facility, that ratio will flip. The brewing tanks at the West Spokane brewery site will be more than twice the size of those at the downtown facility, Tampien says. Ultimately, he hopes Brick West will be able to produce 20,000 barrels of beer each year; currently, the brewery makes than 4,000 barrels of beer annually, he says. A barrel of beer holds 31 gallons, or about two kegs’ worth.

The brewery will continue to be operated by head brewer Scotland Shouse, Tampien says. One or two new employees will be hired to join a few existing employees to staff the Airway Heights brewing facility and taproom.

Tampien says the building will be a steel structure with a total of nearly 18,000 square feet of floor space, more than 15,000 square feet of which will be dedicated to producing beers, such as IPAs and other ales, lagers, sours, and stouts. The remaining space will be used for the taproom, as well as meeting space and storage. Valued at $2.5 million, the brewery and taproom will be constructed by Spokane Valley-based contractor T.W. Clark Construction LLC.

The new Brick West location will include a patio area with space for live music. A replica of the recognizable red brewing tank that sits atop the original Brick West location will be featured outside of the West Spokane location.

Tampien says the site works well for Brick West for a few reasons.

“I think Airway Heights is going to grow really fast, from a residential standpoint, in the next three or four years,” Tampien says. “The tap room will grow as residential (demand) continues to grow.”

The brewery will be within Spokane city limits, so the brewery has access to the city’s utilities.

“All the same water systems we use here, we’ll be able to use up there, so there’s no difference in taste,” Tampien says.

Proximity to transportation is also a benefit, he says. The West Spokane facility will be close to The Odom Corp., the Spokane-based beverage distributor with which Brick West works.

The city of Spokane plans to extend Tech Park Drive to the west, past the future brewery site, Tampien says. That will put the facility on the northwest corner of South Spotted Road and Tech Park Drive.

North of Spokane, Tampien says Brick West is opening a small taproom in the 4,300-square-foot former McGlades Bistro & Wine Bar, at 4301 E. Day Mt. Spokane Road, in Colbert. One or two employees will run the space, which will operate as a mercantile for artists and local vendors during the week and as a taproom during the weekend, Tampien says.

The north taproom is expected to open next spring. The 4.5-acre parcel of land has room for a patio and grassy multipurpose area, he says.

15 December, 2022