Square Wheel Brewing Co.

what a unique place this is, up the hill there above spokane valley, my gps was clueless, but this is a winery with a beer arm, someone in the family or something apparently brews a little beer, so they are joint businesses, but when you pull in through the gates off the almost dirt road, you see no mention or signs of a brewery. the property, once you get to it, is immaculate, just gorgeous, a perfect wedding venue or something with several buildings, rocky outcrops, mature trees, a view of the whole valley, and rather ornate looking structures. there is a big stone archway hanging with moss and ivy and a bigger reception hall type facility behind it, but i didnt go back there further. the taproom, if you want to call it that, is the first thing you come to from the parking lot, all windows, and as i walk in this immediately feels like a winery, not a brewery. well to do looking folks sitting around barrels tasting wine, not a pint to be seen, but i catch a small beer menu past the wine counter with four selections on it. a woman looks confusedly at me, and goes to a back room to pour me a beer, no sign of the taps or the beer program from the tasting room. its a nice space though, just not a brewery space. i guess all the production happens offsite, which i think is true of the wine as well, although i did see some grape vines pulling in. i got a pint of their blonde, and sat in a sunny window and took it all in. these are wine patrons, not beer people, but the views are impressive, the property gorgeous, and the vibe pretty relaxed. the beer in my glass was close to bad, whack on the ferment, but it grew on me as i sipped it, my palate attenuating to the flaws in my glass, i drove all the way up here for a beer, and darn it, i was going to drink this. maybe i ordered wrong, but this didnt give me much hope for the others, so i only stayed for one. they had a neat elevated outdoor patio that would be a cool spot to drink a beer on a nicer day, but they should maybe consider making a separate beer spot, this is not a beer scene at all. that said, its cool that this place exists, the spot is worth going up to even if the beer isnt great, and im glad i checked it out. really unique, you would never know this place was here, really something...