The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
At Salt King Brewing, the apple dropped directly into a mash tun.
We all know our parents shape us, for better or worse, and whether we like it or not, most of us eventually catch a glimpse of them staring back at us in the mirror. Sometimes it’s as subtle as the way we raise an eyebrow at a bad joke. Sometimes it’s a bit more obvious, like the way we have absolutely no tolerance for having our tools put back in the wrong damn place! Sometimes it’s unmistakable, like a full-blown career.
Case in point: Aaron Fernald grew up watching his parents make homebrew in the kitchen, and clearly, that left a mark. Call it genetic. Call it inevitable. Either way, the kid didn’t just pick up the hobby — he ran with it until it turned into an entire brewery: Spokane, Washington’s Salt King Brewing.
Soft for now, grand very soon
They’re calling it a soft opening, and honestly, it’s been soft for a while now. Salt King Brewing (and its companion operation, Spokane Brewing Supply) is Aaron’s full, unfiltered expression of a fascination that started at his parents’ kitchen counter and grew into something considerably bigger. Aaron has said that his curiosity about his parents’ hobby led him to explore diverse beer flavors as soon as he could legally do so. Eventually, he was brewing his own beer, and the local homebrew crew nicknamed him Salt King.
The brewery bearing Aaron’s nickname has been quietly pouring since May 2026, with an official grand opening set for August 15th. Salt King Brewing is the newest name in Spokane’s increasingly crowded, increasingly excellent West End Brewery District — a block from Iron Goat Brewing, a couple of blocks from Brick West Brewing. If you’re already making the rounds in the neighborhood, you’ve now got one more stop.
The brewery’s own mission statement leans into the craft: exceptional modern ales and Belgian-inspired beers, built around a genuine love of the process. “We are dedicated to creating refreshing lagers that invigorate the palate and bring people together,” the site reads. “With a passion for quality and innovation, we strive to deliver unique flavors that elevate every moment.”
And it’s a genuinely broad lineup for a brand-new operation. The opening slate included a New Zealand Pilsner, a dry-hopped Czech Saaz Pils, a German sour, and three separate IPAs — not exactly a shy way to introduce yourself. Last month brought a hoppy brown ale. Most recently, a Cold IPA brewed with rye, appropriately named Cold Rye IPA, because sometimes the best beer names are also just an accurate ingredient list.
Pilsners, sours, IPAs, brown ales — Salt King is hitting just about every base early, which tracks for a guy who spent his childhood watching his parents chase the same curiosity on a much smaller scale. Turns out watching mom and dad tinker with a homebrew kit in the garage can lead somewhere. In Aaron’s case, it led straight to Spokane’s West End Brewery District.
Salt King Brewing
Grand Opening
August 15, 2026
1422 W 3rd Ave, Spokane, WA 99201
Live music, door prizes, raffle prizes, food truck at 4 pm
