For the past decade, No-Li Brewhouse's beers have been earning international accolades. Owner John Bryant's experiences traveling around the world, raking in those awards, helped inspire the newest feature of his self-described "beer campus." The Bier Hall at No-Li opened earlier this summer, but its first big event comes as the season transitions into autumn.
"We won an international brewing award in Munich. We traveled over there, and we went to Munich Oktoberfest, and we spent a day in the Hofbräuhaus," Bryant says.
When Dry Fly Distilling, No-Li's longtime neighbor in the Riverwalk Building, moved its operations downtown last year, an opportunity to bring Bavaria into the Inland Northwest landed right at Bryant's doorstep. No-Li's Bier Hall was designed after a traditional European beer hall. Its wide-open interior features neither bar seating nor booths, but is instead dominated by large tables meant for groups of friends to gather around while sipping from a pint or stein.
"You walk into this 4,200-square-foot Bier Hall — you're three blocks from the Gonzaga campus, sitting on the Spokane River — and you experience Western Europe," Bryant says.
To that end, the Bier Hall has some distinct qualities from the rest of No-Li's offerings around the building. The menu is limited compared to that of the brewhouse next door, with giant pretzels and a pub plate of sausage and sides as the only options — though the full menu remains available just down the hall. The beer menu features all of No-Li's staples, as well as small-batch offerings, seltzers and four rotating guest taps featuring beers from other local breweries.
West End Oktoberfest
Sat, Sept. 17 from noon to close
$20 ticket with mug; $4 featured event beers
Participating breweries: Brick West, Common Language, Golden Handle, Iron Goat, River City, The Grain Shed, Whistle Punk; info at westendbeerfest.com
Perry Street Brewing's Hoptoberfest
Thu, Sept. 22 and Fri, Sept. 23
Featuring four fresh-hop beers, seasonal lagers and limited edition steins, info at instagram.com/perrystreetbrew
Garland Brew Werks' Oktoberfest
Fri, Sept. 23 and Sat, Sept. 24 from 3-9 pm
Featuring five traditional German beers, Oktoberfest-inspired food, event mugs ($20) for discounted pours ($6.50; or BYO mug from last year), info at instagram.com/garlandbrewwerks
Whistle Punk's Punktoberfest
Fri, Sept. 30 from 3-10 pm and Sat, Oct. 1 from 1-10 pm
Featuring traditional German and Bavarian beers; 1-liter event mugs ($25), includes first pour; additional pours are $12 each, info at facebook.com/whistlepunkbeer
A modern and regional twist on the European theme can be seen on the walls and ceiling. Light fixtures hang from above, shaped in the outline of the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, in a nod to No-Li's Northwest roots. On the wall near the back are two large — and one enormous — TVs. They were put to good use earlier this summer when the Bier Hall hosted its first event, an NBA Draft watch party with the entire Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball team in attendance.
Next up at the Bier Hall is the event it was tailor-made for: Oktoberfest.
For two straight Saturdays, Sept. 17 and 24, the Bier Hall is going all in on the event that helped inspire it. Hefty 1-liter steins sourced from Munich will be available to buy ($10) and can be filled ($12) with any of No-Li's signature beers, as well as a few brews specific to the event. Two beers imported from Germany will be on the tap list for Oktoberfest, along with a first for No-Li.
"We have our first ever lager," Bryant says. "We invested into a one-barrel pilot system six months ago, and we've been able to practice and test and really make something I believe is a Munich, Germany, world-class house lager."
No-Li will also be serving beer from a firkin, which consists of a beer that's not infused with carbon dioxide, but rather carbonated naturally in the keg from which it is brewed and subsequently tapped from.
"It commemorates big events in Western Europe," Bryant says of firkin tappings.
Adding to the authentic ambiance of the event is a Bavarian-style oompah band, which will play three one-hour sets each Saturday. Recorded oompah music will also be piped into the Bier Hall while the brass players rest their lungs between sets, leaving no moment quiet or dull.
Oktoberfest may be the big event of the year, but Bryant intends to keep the space open to the public seven days a week, whether or not something special is taking place. As is customary with European beer halls, there are no plans to rent it out for private events.
"You get three, four, five of your friends, and you always know you can go there and sit around a table," Bryant says. ♦
No-Li Oktoberfest • Sat, Sept. 17 and Sat, Sept. 24 from noon to 5 pm • Free admission • 21+ • No-Li Bier Hall • 1003 E. Trent Ave. • nolibrewhouse.com • 509-242-2739
