(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

We’re not afraid to admit we are DOMA fans here at SFB. I mean, why would we be? Their coffee is great. Heck, I’m drinking an Americano from Coffee Social right now, and if that’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.

So we got pretty excited when we heard DOMA would be featured in a porter from Kettle House Brewing Company. Kettle House, while not a brewery you can easily find here in Spokane, has made a good name for itself, so the marriage between the two sounded like one made in heaven.

And the beer truly is a good one, as long as you like coffee. If you don’t, then you probably don’t want to get near this one. We’re talking something that is as much coffee with beer flavor as beer with coffee flavor. To me, that is a good thing.

Not shockingly this is a sipping beer, seeing how strong the flavors are. The head poured about a finger, and laces the glass well. The mouthfeel is medium, which was a bit surprising, seeing how strong the coffee flavor is. (In my experience, high coffee flavor = body like Kevin Federline.)

This is a highly drinkable beer, again, if you like coffee. With a couple of cans you can have a pretty good evening going. Of course, you can’t find it around here, so hey, road trip to Missoula!

Give Zip’s this, they know Spokane. And a subset of Spokane—more often than not the self proclaimed hipster (but don’t call them that, because that would be labeling them!)—really really really wants Spokane to be Portland. (I have my opinions on exactly why this is, but I won’t digress into that…) Zip’s knows this. So why not emulate Portland’s famed creative-yet-not-really-that-tasty Voodoo Doughnut when creating their new “unique” dessert menu?

Now, despite my promise not to digress, I will do just that. Somewhat strangely, perhaps ironically, enough, Portlanders who travel up here have a love affair with Zip’s. Why this is, I don’t know, as I never found that much to love about the place, but there you go.

Enough digressing… I tried the chipotle chocolate doughnut and have to say… Could be worse. Could also be better, but then again, this is Zip’s.

 

 

At first bite it really just tastes like a regular chocolate glazed doughnut. At second bite the light smokey flavors of the chipotle starts coming through. At third bite, the novelty wears off and you realize you’re eating a pretty standard grocery store-tier doughnut with some chipotle flavoring added. Sure, it’s all good in a sick and wrong way, but really, it’s nothing special.

It’s definitely an interesting little experiment from Zip’s, which served the doughnuts downtown at 3rd and Lincoln. But as a substitute for a real dessert, it falls short.

Maybe the bacon maple bar is better, but I’ve yet to try one of those. It might be easier just to buy a maple bar from Rosauers and fry up some bacon yourself.

(Start playing this video while reading for full effect of the post.)

We have talked about it, and now it’s going down! Three teams—so far—are facing off on April 3rd to see who will be the ultimate Spiceavore in Spokane.

The Teams

Team Blue Spark: They might have good beer on tap, but can they hold their own in a spicy food challenge?

Team DTE: Nick, Bart, and James “Porcelain Mouth” Paul got severely defeated by yours truly during our last spicy food contest. Can they stage a comeback? (Answer: No.)

Team SFB: With two mystery members and two crowned champions, SFB is ready to take another victory.

The Venue

Checkerboard Tavern.

The Rounds

1. Spicy hot wings from the Screaming Yak.
2. Dish to be determined from De Leon.
3. Dish to be determined from Thai on 1st.
4. Tamales and some crazy spicy tequila from El Que.

The Rules

They’re being ironed out, but really—it’s about eating spicy foods. It’s not that complicated. We’re trying to keep it local (with one large exception to be announced soon) hence why we’re not getting KFC wings.

The Profile: Screaming Yak wings

It had to be either Screaming Yak or Northern Lights hot wings—they definitely rule Spokane’s wing scene in terms of flavor and spiciness. And while Northern Lights has a more lingering heat (and in my opinion a bit better flavor), the punch of Yak when it hits your lips just seems to fit a contest better. The hottest Yak wings don’t stay with you for as long as Lights do, but my god, when they hit the lips it feels like you’re being physically punched. There’s definitely some habanero going on with these wings.

And really if you’re a contestant, now you can go practice. Heck, if you like spicy foods and hot wings, Screaming Yak is a good place to stop by. It was extremely crowded during our visit, on account of it being happy hour, so finding sitting room might be an issue. It’s worthwhile, though, as the wings are about $5 during this time.

Plus the beer selection, while not stellar, is not awful either.

And furthermore…

If you’re interested in being a spectator, we will have some more information coming up. It’ll be worthwhile as you’ll see grown people cry.

A beer that has grown on me over the past few tries, has been Clem’s Gold. It’s a shame it’s not available in bottles, as I’d gladly include it in my Fridge Rotation. Heck, it might even replace Session as my go-to lager, despite my earlier thoughts.

For now, though, Golden Hills’ brews are available on tap in quite a few places around town—including Checkerboard Tavern which I wrote about yesterday—and two out of three of their lagers are definitely excellent session beers. You’ve already read my take on Clem’s Gold (unless you suck and didn’t, in which case you can read it now), and here are my opinions on the rest.

Ben’s Brown

This one was kind of a disappointment to me. I had expected something a little bit more substantial, particularly seeing its robustness pimped on the Golden Hills Web site.

Not that the flavor is entirely unpleasant; in fact it’s pretty good, I will give it that. But the body feels surprisingly thin and even a bit watered down.

It’s not awful. Heck, it might actually appeal to some over Lizzy’s Lager. Yet, for me, it kind of sticks out as the Cousin Oliver of the group.

Lizzy’s Lager

Lizzy might be Clem’s little sister, at least as far as I’m concerned. It’s a bit sweeter, and I can see what the brewers are going for, as it might even have some bolder flavors. I guess we could get into a philosophical discussion if a lager should go head to head with “wine and whiskey” (as the Web site suggests); in my view that’s more of an ale’s job.

But we’re getting into the nitty gritty here. I prefer the flavor of Clem’s Gold, but if Lizzy’s is on tap, then it’s worth considering if you’re looking for a refreshing lager.

Overall

I’m liking what I’m seeing from Golden Hills. They’re not going crazily overboard like, say, Dogfish Head, in creativity, but produce solid, refreshing beers. I for one respect them for that, and commend them for doing a great job on their first brews.