Spokane-based No-Li Brewhouse LLC, which formerly did business as Northern Lights Brewing Co., is leasing an additional 4,000 square feet of storage space in a warehouse near its brewery so it can expand its craft beer production, says co-owner John Bryant.

The newly leased space is located in a 7,000-square-foot empty warehouse about 75 feet across a parking area from its main brew house and eatery, which is located in the Riverwalk Plaza complex at 1003 E. Trent, he says.

No-Li plans to use the additional space for storing ingredients, a cooler, and packaging inventory. That reshuffling will enable the business to put more tanks into its brew house and have more room there to make a larger variety of craft beers, Bryant says. No-Li's main operations that include the brew house and restaurant total about 10,000 square feet of floor space, he says.

Bryant adds, "We've been expanding also in the past couple of months, adding four new fermentation tanks, and we'll be adding three more. It will increase our capacity and also diversity in the different beers we brew. You need to keep bringing out innovative beers."

Bryant, who co-owns the microbrewery with founder and brewer Mark Irvin, says the business recently hired about five new employees, including an additional brewer, new salespeople, and a part-time packaging person. Bryant says No-Li has about 35 employees and likely will be close to 40 total employees within the next six months.

Irvin says the brewery expects to produce about 5,500 barrels this year. By expanding with its new equipment, it expects it can make about 8,000 barrels a year, he says.

No-Li offers six different styles of craft beer, which it makes available on tap and in 22-ounce bottles sold in Spokane-area grocery stores. Bryant says No-Li plans to unveil a few new craft beer styles this year.

The business eventually might lease more space in the nearby warehouse, but that would require renovation work, Bryant says.

Bryant joined the company last year as a partner, and he and Irvin renamed the company No-Li Brewhouse last April. After the rebranding, it also has worked to expand distribution of its 22-ounce bottles of craft beer in markets outside of Spokane including in Colorado, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

No-Li products include Silent Treatment Pale Ale, Born & Raised IPA, Crystal Bitter Ale, Jet Star Imperial IPA, and Wrecking Ball Imperial Stout. It also offers seasonal beers. No-Li was awarded distribution in Sweden by the Swedish government at last fall's Stockholm Beer & Whiskey Festival. The first shipments of No-Li's Crystal Bitter and Born & Raised IPA shipped to Sweden Feb. 25.