TALKEETNA -- Years in the making, a brew pub is finally coming to downtown Talkeetna -- just in time for what could be a rough summer season.

Tourism watchers warn there could be fewer visitors this summer to the funky town due to the global recession squeezing consumer spending. But the good people of Talkeetna don't tend to let reality get in their way.

The Twister Creek restaurant, serving beer made next door by Denali Brewing Co., opens in May on Main Street. It takes the spot formerly occupied by Tanner's Trading Post next to the Fairview Inn, and joins myriad other downtown eateries including the West Rib Cafe and Pub, Wildflower Cafe and Mountain High Pizza Pie.

"I always goof with everybody that our first T-shirt is going to say, 'Serving Fine-Crafted Beer and Food since the Great Depression of 2009,' " said partner Mike Lindgren, formerly the general manager at the Fairview Inn, a historic downtown bar.

Like other operations in Talkeetna, the new setup will be a bit of a catch-all offering a self-service laundry and propane along with beer and a bite to eat.

Lindgren said he and partners Sassan Mossanen and Boe Barnett managed to pull in some silent partners as investors despite the economy.

Mossanen, the "brains of the operation," is the partner with business savvy, Lindgren said. He's a general contractor who owns a Talkeetna bed and breakfast with his wife.

Mossanen spent the past 15 years dreaming of opening a brew pub, but also spent nine years as a climbing guide on McKinley.

"It certainly instilled in me a love for our community, and what it brings to the table, because I've had a chance to really enjoy our backyard," he said.

If he's the brains, Mossanen said, Barnett is the heart of the operation, the brewmaster. He's an experienced brewer who relocated from Fairbanks to help start the business.

People call beer recession-proof. Some in the visitor industry also say Talkeetna needs more restaurants to take the burden off existing businesses when, say, Princess drops off a bus load of cruise passengers for a few hours.

Still, Lindgren says, there's no getting around the fact that the new pub will take a hit this summer.

"That's part of the price we pay for our decision to go into business this year," he said. "All the cards were in place ... it just seemed right in every aspect."

A big factor was finding a prime location in the spot formerly occupied by Tanner's Trading Post. Beverly Tanner sold the longtime local business in late December or early January.

The trading post sold everything but the kitchen sink. Along with steaks, diapers, and auto supplies, it was the only propane retailer downtown.

The propane will stay. So will the laundry, which will be smaller, but now patrons can drink beer while they wash their clothes.

The Twisted Creek beer menu is set: a blonde ale, an IPA, an imperial stout (think Guinness), an amber ale, and a hand-poured porter created the old-school way by combining three beers. The brewery will distribute growlers and kegs wholesale.

The food menu is still evolving, though Lindgren promises quality dining that's affordable and as local as possible -- waffles made to order for breakfast and halibut for dinner, along with humbler fare like chicken wings.

The partners hope to keep the pub open all year to serve locals as well as visitors.

Mountain High owner Todd Basilone already expected a tough summer because of the economy. Adding competition to the mix could make the summer even tougher, Basilone said.

At the same time, he welcomes a new restaurant and wishes the best for the partners, whom he considers friends.

"It seems to always feel like, when somebody opens up you're going to lose business. It also does seem to bring people in," Basilone said. "I'm sure we'll see a little decrease in sales. We'll ride it out one way or another."