New era brews at Olympia's Spar Cafe

My TNT colleague Dan Voelpel is one IPA closer to his dream of McMenamins in Tacoma.

Today in Olympia, McMenamins, the Portland publicans, opened McMenamins Spar Cafe, after purchasing the 4th Avenue landmark last year.

The Spar's makeover includes a redone kitchen and the addition of McMenamins' smallest brewery. Many of the Spar's original furnishings remain, including the antique tobacco counter that now serves as the back bar, plus several wooden bar stools.

Right now McMenamins Spar Cafe is only brewing Sunflower IPA, using water from the aquifer beneath the Spar. McMenamins' regular lineup of beer (Black Rabbit porter, Terminator Stout, Hammerhead pale ale et. al.) is on tap.

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

McMenamins Spar Cafe is now the closest McMenamins pub to Tacoma. I'll be checking out six McMenamins pubs from Centralia to Mill Creek for an upcoming story. Which McMenamins pubs do you like? Olympic Club Pub? Dad Watsons? McMenamins Mill Creek? McMenamins Queen Anne? Six Arms?

McMenamins Spar Cafe

114 4th Ave. E., Olympia; 360-357-6444

This story was originally published January 15, 2007 at 11:41 PM with the headline "New era brews at Olympia's Spar Cafe."