The Kilted Growler Tap House opened earlier this month at 8160 N. Cornerstone Drive, in Hayden.

Owner Steve Welch, a longtime Coeur d’Alene home brewer, says he opened the tap house as a way of getting back into the beer business.

“My father used to own his own restaurant and distribution business, and I always knew I wanted to do something similar one day,” he says. “I was thinking of opening a brewery, but that market seems a bit saturated right now, so I figured I’d start out by selling everyone else’s stuff.”

The tap house’s name matches its logo, which features a kilt-wearing grizzly bear.

“I thought it was kind of a neat play on words, since grizzlies growl, and we sell growlers,” he says.

Welch says he remodeled most of the 1,200-square-foot, leased space himself with the help of friends and family.

“We had to add in a lot of stuff, including extra plumbing and a walk-in freezer,” he says. “I did all the design myself, including the light fixtures.”

Welch says the business offers 56 taps, 42 of which are beers, with the remaining taps including red and white wines, ciders, and kombucha.

“We serve some snacks right now, and people are welcome to bring in their own food from home or neighboring businesses, like Jimmy Johns and Little Caesar’s Pizza,” he says. “I’m looking to add some of our own food selection within the next year or so.”

If all goes well, Welch says he hopes to open two more tap houses in the area, possibly making the Kilted Growler name into a franchise. 

“I’m pretty focused on this location now,” he says. “But we’ve gotten some really good feedback already, so who knows?”