Hopped Up Brewing Company

it was bitter sweet rolling in here for the first time only to learn they are closing this place at the end of the month, a total shame because both the space and the beers are cool, wished i had discovered it a little earlier, but also thankful i was able to experience it before its gone forever. the space rules, an old chalet vibe to it or something, peaked ceilings, wood accents, some patio area out front, almost feels like an old house, or house of pancakes, something, its vintage and quaint. they only had a small selection of beers on, probably already done brewing and just running through what was left, but i really liked the lemon cream ale for the summer, and they had an imperial amber that was solid as well, sturdy and malty and nutty and autumnal, so the quality seemed to be there, albeit in a limited sample size. the dude who has owned it and brewed all these years was there behind the bar, good dude, fun to chat with, i did feel bad about the end though. really neat place, a shame its going away, i feel like the valley has a lot of beer going on, but that these guys stand out as being ahead of the curve, so its a significant loss. hoping good things for the people involved, whatever is next. i liked this place a lot.

 

Haven't been here for more than a year, so basing rating on previous attempts. Everything pretty much tasted like home brew. Will return after some time to see if improvements have been made.

Hopped Up is essentially a one-man operation located along the looong stretch of Sprague Avenue that is known as Spokane Valley. You may find the building looks familiar. That's because it's located in an old IHOP. There's a tap room at the front of the building with about 8 taps. Decor is a little sparse, but I prefer substance over style, and was more interested in the beer.

I stopped by about 15-20 minutes or so after the owner/brewer had opened on a very hot Friday afternoon, and 4 of the 5 bar seats in the tasting room were occupied - usually a good sign. No real food to speak of (at least in terms of meals) but the owner automatically placed a small bowl of pretzels next to my beer on the bar. The owner/brewer/bartender, Steve, was a friendly, low-key guy who seemed to not mind questions about the beers and the brewery. I didn't think to ask what size system he's using, but I doubt it's very big, because, according to him he's doing most of the work, with help when possible from his wife and grown children. Apparently he also grows some of the hops he uses in his beer at his home nearby.

Speaking of the beer, I opted for his IIPA, which was tasty, fresh and 7.7% abv (I think), and had about 80 IBUs. He freely admitted it wasn't one of the gynormous IIPAs that have become something of the norm, but was more of a style-stradler between a regular and imperial IPA. Since I had come in partly to pick up my last Inland NW Ale Trail stamp and therefore received a 32oz mini-growler, I opted to fill up with that same beer. Pints were $5, 32oz fills were $6 and 64oz fills were $10, but he only charged $5 for the fill and another $5 for the pint - something I didn't realize until after I left.

I had some errands to run and couldn't stay long enough for more than one beer, so I can't comment on other beers. He seemed to have a good mix of styles (cream ale, red, pale, IPAs and I think a porter and a stout), and he had written on a board a couple of beers that would be on soon - a cream ale aged in maple and a watermellon beer of some sort. He indicated that he rotated beers fairly regularly, and that chances were good there'd be other things on tap the next time I come in, whenever that will be.

I had heard mixed things about this place, in about a 50:50 ratio. I'd have checked it out sooner but for the fact that it was an unknown quantity to me and that I only randomly get out to the Valley, and on previous attempts I had been either too early (they don't open until 2PM) or was on the wrong stretch of Sprague (if on I-90, it's between the Pines and Argonne exits), but after my experience today, I will make an effort to get out there again

The 2 IPAs I tried were not good. It was like something I'd expect from a home brewer's first or second batch. The "electric" IPA was very watery and the "Hopped up" IPA was very unbalanced to the malt.
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