(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

It has taken us a while to check out Budge Brothers -- a brewery located just off East Sprague -- but we finally got around to giving Hop Train IPA a try. It's not a bad beer by any means, but also not really quite our thing. What do we put in thing? Let's have a look, shall we?

The Hop Train is a hoppy beer. It has a hoppy color, it has a hoppy nose, it has a hoppy flavor. It even has a hoppy name, but you already knew that. There's nothing wrong with hops, of course; we like hops. Hop Train's problem is that there is preciously little else going on other than the hops. And the lack of a flanking flavor makes this not our proverbial thing.

That is all too bad, really, as Hop Train could have been quite good if there was something else there. Granted, you should pick up on some citrus if you close your eyes and concentrate deeply, but it's still somewhat of an afterthought.

In that sense Hop Train is not our favorite IPA, but that's not to say it's a horrible beer. It does make us curious to check out Budge Brothers's other brews. This one, though, is a bit too much about the hops for our liking, and at 8% ABV it's hard to find a follow-up beer that won't be overpowered by that flavor.

But hey, their Extra Stout sounds intriguing.

Note: This is the restroom review. You can also read our opinions on the restaurant.

Picabu has made a reputation for itself of making simple yet tasty food, and that trend has carried over to the restroom. Not that it's tasty, obviously, but it is tasteful in a fun sorta fashion.

In fact, we're impressed with how a few simple touches has transformed the restroom from what could be a dull facility. A few strokes of paint -- muted pinks and greens for the most part -- in organic patterns make a world of difference. The colors contrast the floor nicely too.

More importantly, the restroom is clean. I mean, really clean. You could probably bring your food in here and eat it without an issue. 

In terms of facilities it's hard to compete with the simple yet colorful direction Picabu took with theirs. This is a highly recommended restroom.

So here we have a newly opened spot on the northside where, if current internet chatter has it right, beer is taken seriously. Eighteen handles and a promise of dedicating at least one of them to something truly unique? Yes, internet chatter can often be misleading, but "instantly promising" came to mind when we first heard of Pints Alehouse.

And just this one time it looks like the internet got it right. Pints Alehouse is kind of a Hop Shop of the northside, and it should be a destination for anyone who likes good beer. Even though it has only been open for a short while, it has gotten everything it set out to do right, and still has the potential for growth. That's impressive.

The interiors are similar to the Hop Shop, thought the space here is larger. It's a good looking spot in a spartan type of way. The long bar provides plenty of seating, and the handles are grouped by beer styles.

We tried the Firestone Walker Velvet Merk(/l)in during our visit, which was their current special. Only two kegs have made their way to Spokane, or so we were told, and the second one won't be seen for a while as Manito is, apparently, storing it for now.

Frankly, the Velvet Merkin is worth the trip up north by itself. It's a great beer.

A quick look at Taplister reveals plenty of other reasons to make the trek. Stone's Double Bastard; 21st Amendment's Lower da Boom Barleywine; North Coast's Blue Star Wheat. That's just a selection of some of their better ales, and those are flanked by stand-by breweries like Deschutes and local 12 String.

There are also quite a few wines -- mostly locals -- to pick from, if that's more your thing.

Pints is a bar sans food, but the owners are looking at getting some food cart action happening, so keep an eye out for that.

Really, this spot is pretty much flawless for what it is. Friendly service and a great selection of beer... Pints has it all covered, and is worth the trip no matter where you're located in Spokane.

We have some experience with eating cheese in Murcia, and were more than a little pleased when we found Main Market to be carrying Drunken Goat, a cheese from Jumilla, a town in the northern parts of the region.

So what makes this cheese so special? Ignoring the simple fact that it's really quite good, the wheel of cheese goes through a rather interesting process of being submerged in red wine for two to three days. This gives the rind a nice deep, purple color, contrasted by the white of the cheese.

The flavor of Drunken Goat is, not surprisingly, also affected by this process. It is sweet, with a mild, round flavor, one that -- again, not surprisingly -- has echoes of grapes. The texture is relatively creamy, and you can easily eat the cheese just by itself, but really, it goes especially well with a dark chocolate.

You can pick up a good sized chunk for less than $5 at Main Market. We suggest that you do so; this is a great cheese.