It all started with the re-branding—changing the name from Northern Lights Brewing to No-Li Brewhouse—which happened a decade ago. That was just the beginning. When John Bryant bought into Northern Lights, he set out to change a lot more than the name. (Above, No-Li recently expanded and added the No-Li Bier Hall, an annex to the existing brewpub.)
Back in 2012 when John started the journey, the craft brewing scene looked a lot different in Spokane. For many cities in the Northwest and across the nation, the boom was just beginning. Spokane was no exception. Where there were once just a couple of breweries, there are now dozens. There was no guarantee that No-Li Brewhouse would emerge as the leader, but that’s what happened.
“It has been an amazing challenge and opportunity to build Spokane and the Inland Empire’s first community and regional brewery since, probably, the 1940s,” says John Bryant. “It’s been a very long span of time since a Spokane-established craft brewery supported a local economic and cultural mission at a larger scale.”
“No-Li will complete 2022 at approximately 17,800 barrels shipped/sold,” John explains. “In this same span of time, the next closest craft brewery in Spokane and the Inland Empire region might achieve 2,200 total barrels this year.”
The latest growth-inducing move, according to John, is the brewery’s decision to partner with a new distributor, King Beverage, in the greater Spokane area. Since that partnership was formed at the beginning of November, King Beverage has not only helped move the beer but is also helping with the mission of supporting the community.
If you know John, you know he’s not bragging when he talks about No-Li Brewhouse’s achievements over the past decade. He’s proud of what he, his family, and the No-Li crew have accomplished but he realizes the role that the beer-drinking community, and the at-large community, played in the brewery’s growth and success.
As I’ve documented here on the Washington Beer Blog many times, community engagement is important for No-Li Brewhouse. Just one example, during the throes of the pandemic, No-Li rallied to work with community partners and serve 1,100 meals and donate $40,000 to organizations supporting the most vulnerable populations in the community. The most recent example is the 25 Days of Christmas program, which will see No-Li and King Beverage distribute thousands of dollars to 24 local community organizations during the holiday season.
“No-Li and Spokane have the opportunity to have a regional craft brewing leader that employs 100+ people, providing them with above living wage jobs, full benefits, engagement into their community, and to be artisan leaders of their craft.”
Here’s to the next decade of No-Li Brewhouse. I look forward to continuing to track the company’s success, which is measured in more than barrels per year.