Boise’s Hoptober “Freshtival” 2024

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This past weekend was, in my opinion the best of the annual beer festivals in the Treasure Valley.   There are many “Beer Fests” in the area each year.  The Mountain Brewers Beer Fest is bigger, but it is in Idaho Falls, a little over 4 hours drive for us Boise residents. McCall’s “Destination Beer” in  (put on by Idaho Brewers United )is another good one, but its a 2 hour drive up Highway 55 in the dead of winter.  There is also the “Beer and Bacon” fest in June at the fairgrounds in Boise  (featuring two of my favorite things).  “Zoo Brew” is another, usually in August in Boise at…well…the Zoo.

“Hop Man”

In Early October though, just after the peak of hop harvest season, Boise Brewing on Broad street hosts the best of all of them.  This time of year many brewers will make special beers incorporating fresh local hops that in some cases were harvested barely 48hrs before.  A “Fresh Hop ” beer generally means that the hops used during the brew day are in their freshly picked “wet” state.  Typically hops are dried after harvest and then also, they are pulverized and compressed into small pellets.  As fresh hops are approximately 80% water, by weight, this drying and processing is convenient and is standard practice.

This past Oct 12th was the 2024 edition of the Boise Brewing Hoptober Freshtival.  I of course could not let the opportunity pass me by.  Both of my readers demand such high levels of due diligence on my part.  Showing up just after the opening 12:00pm bell, I quickly made the rounds.  Local brewers bringing  “Fresh Hop” beers this year included Alliteration, Mad Swede, White Dog, Clairvoyant and Payette.  Some of these offerings were unique recipes for this event, and others were fresh hop versions of existing beers many of us would have recognized in the past.

Snake River Brewers

This Fresh Hop addition to a beer tends to give a floral, earthy component and sometimes a little grassy character to a hoppy beer, but you really get the sense of a beer made with ingredients JUST harvested.  That is the lightning in a bottle these beer makers are trying to capture, that “fresh off the vine” experience.  The first few weeks of September, after the kids are all back in school is the window when this all happens.

Others present were Snake River Brewers, the local homebrew club, chatting with festival attendees and taking questions on all things regarding the best hobby in the world.   Boise Beer Buddies, a member based community connecting craft beverage enthusiasts with local businesses was also there.  You want to be a Beer Buddy,  membership has its privileges, you can find out more here.

In other happenings in the Boise craft beer world, it is no secret Ruckus Brewing is about to open its doors.  Their grand opening is set for October 19th and BoiseBrewBlog will have a post about that, next week.   We hope to welcome the new kid on the block with a taproom full of craft beer lovers that day.

Tuesday BeerDay – Mid-week draft beer specials in Boise.

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If you are a beer nerd like me, or just enjoy a good pint, then you know that any day of the week is a good beer day.

On the retail side, however, the day matters.  Fridays and Saturdays are typically pretty busy at most of our favorite Brewpubs and tap houses of course. I won’t deny, I contribute to kicking off the weekend in this way. Other days, however, maybe not so much.

These outlets often work to boost traffic on quieter days with events like trivia, bingo etc.  Also too there often “beer-bargains” to be had. Many places have a “happy hour” deal usually in the late afternoon. Mondays and Tuesdays are usually when you can find some additional specials and good deals at your favorite beer spot.

This past Tuesday after work, I made the rounds a bit in the downtown area.  I visited a couple locations that would, let’s just say maximize my pints/dollar. Particularly if you are a BoiseBeerBuddies member.

Cold Pint at Leku Ona

In the Basque district roughly in the center of downtown Boise proper is a little restaurant/cafe called Leku Ona.  Offering a diverse menu of pork, fish and lamb dishes, many of the items I don’t dare attempt to pronounce. A tap list of several regional beers, that I usually recognize is always available.   Tuesdays at Leku Ona, as of this writing, is half-off pints and an appetizer item called “croquetas“.  These are kind of tater-tot or hush-puppy, but made of seasoned soft doughy béchamel white sauce , breaded and deep fried. Crispy on the outside, creamy smooth on the inside.  A set of these and a cold pint is a lovely combination.

On Capital, a couple blocks North is Boise Fry Co.  A sort of “boutique” burger joint offering “Buy one-Get One” on their draft beers.  Boise Fry has several locations around town and this deal is valid at each.  I don’t find it uncommon to need another beer after the first one was employed washing down a tasty classic Bison Burger and sweet potato fries.

Boise Brewing BeerBuddies special

Five or six blocks South on Broad St, is Boise Brewing, and on Tuesdays, for BoiseBeerBuddies members it is Buy One-Get One here as well. Well, get two actually since you are already buying the first one and it is the second one that’s free.  You know what I mean.  “BOGO” just has a better ring to it than “BYGTOOF” I suppose.   What I like best  about this deal is that if you “forgot” to bring a friend, well then it is just up to you to find something to do with that free pint.  This second one always seems to tase even better anyway. Boise Brewing expanded into a full sit-down restaurant several months ago as well.

There are other deals to be had around town as businesses work to generate a bit more action during the slow early/mid weeks days.  These are just a few that coincide with your BoiseBeerBuddies card if you are a member.  And if you are not one, you need to become one.

Cheers

 

Garden City’s Brown Beard is growing

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Bryce at Brown Beard Brewing has been open and serving beer for a little over a year now, in west Garden City. Over that time he has gathered and maintained a loyal local following. The spot has become a popular after-work or weekend afternoon hangout for quite a few locals.  Myself included. Most of the taps are selections you’d not be surprised to see.  Also, too are usually a few taps that show off his creativity. I appreciate the variety and am always checking on what is new on the times I stop by.

 

Early Growth

From day one, literally, just keeping up with demand for his popular brews was a challenge. So much so that he nearly sold completely out on opening day. Being equipped with a 1 Barrel system means long and/or frequent brewdays, just to keep taps flowing.  After closing up shop for a couple extra days there in the beginning to catch up, he was back in business. Even with the addition of some equipment several months later and the expansion of his walk-in cooler, it has been a lot of work to maintain levels.  Some guest taps and other beverage options help with this as well. 

Kristen Anderson, Bryce Tuttle (baby Nader), Cortni Nader, Matt Nader

Idawild Brewing at 5720 W Chinden, just a mile away, had been open since the Summer of 2022.  As of last week, owners Cortni and Matt decided to permanently close up shop and instead, dedicate more of their time to family. A new baby will tend to do that. We wish them the best of course and enjoyed the beers they made for the couple of years they were there.

So, one of the worst kept secrets among the Brown Beard regulars, was announced. Bryce would be moving in to Idawild’s location, more specifically, expanding into it.  The additional location should work well for a couple of reasons. There are plans to remodel the original location a bit and expand its music venue facilities.  The new space and it’s bigger brewing system will help boost production and that site will stay more of a classic taproom.  New offerings perhaps, but surely, bigger batches can mean fewer brewdays when keep up with popular beers.

Music Venue

Live music is a passion for Bryce. He has had many artists on his modest stage and on a warm day with the garage door up the tunes fill the surrounding parking lots. Visiting artists include local musicians, Andrew Chappell, Landonius Monk, and the Talbot Brothers as well have made a couple of appearances. Bryce himself has occasionally picked up a guitar and joined in on some of these music nights. I’ve been there for many of these and they’re a ton of fun.

This new space has a little history many of us will recall. Barbarian Brewing, an early arrival to the area craft beer scene, got started in that space. They were there for several years until March of 2022, a few months before Idawild moved in. Barbarian has since opened a downtown taproom as well as a new location on E 32nd at the east end of Garden City.

Bryce and Kristen have a lot of fans in the Garden City area.  All of us Brown Beard regulars are looking forward to the changes he has in store and to the increased availability of the great beers has been making this past year or so.  Let the Brown Beard keep growin’ !

New Brewery in Eagle – Gem State Brewing

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2024 has barely gotten off to a start, and the Treasure Valley has another new brewery. This one is in Eagle and has been a long time coming.

Location Location Location

Gem State Brewing opened its doors officially Jan 6th to a full house and a line nearly out the door. At 293 E. State, two and a half blocks east of Eagle road, it’s strategically placed. While nearby Garden City has gained quite a reputation for breweries, they are all several miles away. The local Eagle folk, I expect, will welcome a beer neighbor like Gem State. They open at 3 during the week and at Noon on the weekends. Closed on Tuesday.

Chris and Kristl McGinnis, run the place. Chris has been involved with at least a couple beer spots locally in recent years, including County Line (now Clairvoyant) which is where I knew him from. As I recall that was about the time CL was making some of their best beer…not coincidentally.

Beer Style Diversity

Well, we all have our favorites, but variety is the spice of life after all. Chris is on record as having a bit of an affinity for dark beers. As you might expect a few of his initial offerings definitely qualify. An Oatmeal Stout is on the tap list, along with an Espresso and Raspberry variant. A quite flavorful “4.5%”Session” IPA, a Pilsner and a few flavored Kettle Sours round out the opening tap list.

I missed, or rather avoided the mayhem of opening day and instead stopped by on a wednesday afternoon, 4 days after the grand opening. I arrived shortly after 4pm and the place was already near capacity. The crowd slowly dissipated over the next couple hours as I tried most of what was offered. The Stouts were smooth and roasty, with the coffee and raspberry, respectively not overwhelming. I thought the IPA was quite good, and was surprised to see it at under 5% ABV.

This new construction building is neat and clean and seems to fit well in the central Eagle commercial zone. I didn’t have any trouble finding nearby parking. Inside, tall ceilings, exposed ductwork and simple but comfortable seating fills out the space for 70 or so. Reports on the plans for the new beer spot have been circulating since as early as May 2019, and in case you forget what WAS in this location before work began, below is the “Before” pic.

The brewing equipment they had installed looks capable of ramping up production as needed. Im looking forward also to plenty of small batch and “one-off” recipes, along with whichever turn out to be their “Flagship” beers. It looks like Gem State Brewing will be a great addition to the area. It will definately be on my shortlist for a cold pint after work in the days ahead.

An “Old Dog” with some new tricks

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Sockeye Brewing has been in Boise since the early ’90s. One of Boise’s original breweries and for most all of that time has produced some well know quality beers we’re all well familiar with. The classic, and their flagship beer Dagger Falls IPA is one the the best selling brands in the region. A hoppy sturdy IPA that has been making appearances at backyard bar-b-ques and BSU tailgate parties for nearly 3 decades.

When the craft beer explosion, renaissance, awakening…whatever you want to call it, took over in the mid 2000’s, breweries starting popping up in the area every several months it seemed. Many of these places had to find their own niche, establishing their unique foothold in the growing local craft beer economy. Some were largely experimental and esoteric, others focused on German styles etc. Sockeye seemed to stick with what they already knew they did well. A standard line-up. An IPA, a Brown, an American wheat, an Amber and a Pale. These and a few rotating seasonals, the menu didn’t change that often and when something new did show up, it was pretty few and far between, It also disappeared…usually for good after a short time.

I’ve often told people, and written about this on numerous occasions. The most interesting part of the craft beer industry, for me as a consumer and beer nerd is the never ending variety of what I can get a pint of at a local brew-on-premise. With this in mind the now 30 some breweries in the area, out competed for my attention, and business. Over the last several years Sockeye had dropped off my frequent rotation due to what seemed to me, a strategy of sticking mainly to just their regular lineup.

Catch and Release

I’m happy to report that evidently this is no longer the case. Something clearly changed several months ago. There are now, and have been, regular appearances of uncommon, or lesser known styles and recipes. Rogenbiers, Italian Pilseners, Saisons, Vienna lagers etc, have all recently shown up on their new “Catch and Release” list. I have to think this change was at least partly set in motion from feedback and suggestions that reflected my own view.

I had a conversation with Derek at the West Boise location recently and he confirmed that this was/is an intentional change. Maybe it is a bit of “keeping up with the jones’s” or maybe just livening things up with some “fresh blood”. Either way, I’m loving it. I’ll still order a Dagger Falls at a local restaurant, with dinner, when I see it. These experimentals at the brewpub are just a lot of fun. I’ll be trying as many of then as I can as they are released.

There is also rumored to be a rye-barrel aged “Baklava Russian Imperial Stout” on the horizon. It still has at least a few months to go, before its ready for prime time. I’ll be watching for that one especially. But with these small batch experiments coming out more often, this Idaho craft beer icon is back in my wheelhouse.

-Cheers

Bert’s Brewing to open its doors

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Boise, for a long time had been home to 3 or 4 breweries/Brewpubs and in the mid 2000s everything craft beer sort of took off. Garden City seemed to be the epicenter of that explosion, partly due to the favorable utilities rates offered to commercial tenants. Payette, Crooked Fence, Kilted Dragon, and Barbarian were the early ones. A bit later, County LIne, Powderhaus, Western Collective, Twisted District and most recently Ida Wild, and Brown Beard came in. All setting up shop on the 3 mile stretch of Chinden, from I-184 to just past Glenwood.

A few of those establishments, sadly are no longer with us, but this year a couple more have popped up. The newest, “Bert’s Brewing” on Brown st near the Orchard down ramp is poised to open its doors. Its public opening is set for next week but myself and a few other “family and friends” were there this evening to check out the place. I have to say it will likely be one of my favorites going forward.

A modern but comfortable facility, plenty of natural light, small tables and comfy chairs for a couple dozen. Room for 8 or so at the bar. Garage doors for sunny days and/or warm evenings, and an outdoor patio. All tucked in up against the mini-connector carrying commuters down Orchard to Chinden from Fairview above. At first I thought that the hustle and the bustle of the nearby commute traffic would be a bit “present” but it actually feels like you are up under most of it. The natural landscaping and geography, sort of shields you from it all and somehow feels not so near.

I immediately ordered a flight of their current offerings, and thought all their beers were well done. Clean, light and tasty and just “professional”. I thought the West Coast IPA was fresh, hoppy , though not particularly aggressive. Balanced, fresh and easy to get along with. The Porter I had was smooth, lightly roasty and just a very nice pint. They are staggering their prices with the light Mexican lager a meer 5$. Up to a couple dollars more are charged for the bigger hoppier beers. Definitely a welcome price point, especially for a new venue in these times and this area.

I got to chat with Sidney, one of the owners and she told me their story. It could not have been more charming. A young couple, Robert and herself, each with several years of beer industry experience. Robert in the production, packaging side and recently completing brewing training in Chicago and Germany. Sidney on the restaurant and commercial side managing restaurants and tending bar. They met at a brewpub in Orange, CA and must have quicky sensed that the universe was speaking to them. In short order, they agreed, the best plan was to get married, combine their experience, move to Boise and open a brewery. Now, a year or two later, I for one am glad they did.

The tradition of Garden City’s “Brewer’s Row” has thus increased its craft beer presence, and in a very good way. West bound commuters on Chinden , will pass no less than 8 or 9 craft beer establishments on their way home. Ill be one of them, and will be stopping my Bert’s on a regular basis.

-Cheers

How clean is your beer glass ?

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When we order a pint of our favorite beer we like it to come in a clean glass. A good barkeep will even take a second and hold it up to the light, looking for any specks or dishwater marks before he/she fills it. There is another part to this, however. While we want the inside of the glass clean… the out seid e of it is important as well.

Sometimes an aggressive pour will cause a bit of a “foam-over” and sometimes this is OK. That’s what coasters are for. Other times we want this cleaned off so we don’t get beer on our hands. The question is HOW do they clean the beer off of the glass after a bit of a “cup-runneth-over” event.

Wipers and Squirters

In my experience and observations, there are two main methods. The squirter, and the wiper.

The former, usually involves a plastic squeeze bottle with a fine tip. They will hose down the outside of the glass with a little (presumably clean) water after the pour. When the glass is delivered, is still wet, but at least it is only water. Sometimes it is a little kitchen-sink style push button sprayer. I suppose the advantage with this is that there is no bottle to refill every 20 min on a busy night.

The latter, simply is that after pouring the beer, the server will pick up a dish rag, sometimes called a “bar mop” and wipe down the glass. I have a couple problems with this.

One is that unless, and there is very little chance of this, that is the FIRST use of this towel, the beer is just more evenly spread out all over the glass. Thus there are no remaining dry spots left on it. Secondly, I likely did not actually witness that towel being deployed to this service. I then have no way of knowing how long its been since they swapped it out. Who knows what may be growing on that beer damp towel. It likely smells like a medley of stale beer and the colonies of bacteria that have been feeding on it.

Maybe the place is a bit more conscientious and they have the towel is in some sanitizer solution. Slightly less obnoxious, maybe. But now my pale ale just smells like clorox every time I take a drink.

I have a preference here, obviously. Perhaps the best way to illustrate my point, when I see a wiper, is to ask the server it they are willing to lick that towel.

-Cheers

End of Summer – Outdoor Boise Beer Venues

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The summer season and warmer weather is coming to a close in the Treasure Valley area, and with it, many of the popular outdoor beer “patios” and food truck sites will be closing for the season. I’ve listed below, some of the popular locations and their end of season schedules, as posted on their respective social media pages. We’ve only got a week or two left for most of them, and after last weekend’s rainy weather, another week of late summer warm sunny days are in in store.

Switchback – FoodTruck park located on Perrault way near the Park Center and Warm Springs intersection, is open for their normal Thurs-Sun set this week, Next week they are finishing the season Thursday – Friday (the 13th) only.

GreenAcresBoise

Green Acres -Food Truck park and live music spot on the greenbelt just past the end of 14th. Typically open 11-8 Wed-Sun with October 15th (Sunday) being their last day of the season. They have frequent updates on their Facebook page showing which food trucks are there for that day. “First Thursday”, Idaho beers are 1$ off today.

Franklin House – I always feel like I’m in someone’s back yard, when I visit this place. On the corner of 15th and Franklin, Boise’s only “Bed and Beer” is open until Saturday the 14th 10PM. Pluss, they have Hammocks !

Yardarm – Boat/beach themed patio area serving beer out of a renovated shipping container and an on-site taco-truck…boat. This Saturday the 7th is their 8th annual season ending “Kill-The-Keg” with Big-K-BBQ on location.

Stop by these great Boise outdoor beerspots as you can, the season is nearly over.

My Favorite Boise Beer Spots #002 – Mother Earth Brewing

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Mother Earth Brewing, has been a southern California company for about 13 years. They moved to Idaho August 2016 as part of an expansion, with the construction of a production site in Nampa. A small tasting room is inside as well, where you can try a couple of their beers right where they are made. This all whilst sitting amongst towering pallets of empty aluminum cans, just waiting to be filled. This facility helped make ME the largest brewer in the state, muscling past indigenous Idaho outfits like Sockeye and Payette.

Several years later, Mother Earth opened their taproom in downtown Boise proper, on 3rd just a couple blocks down Broad st from Boise Brewing. This was back in December 2021, when we were all just extricating ourselves from the Covid fiasco, and frankly needed an outlet like this. I was there opening week and their full lineup of beers was on line. The place was an immediate hit. Part of the site includes a large outdoor/patio seating area, which didn’t really see much action until it warmed up a few months later. Nevertheless, the outdoor area provides a great view of the currently active and changing downtown Boise skyline.

Great Beer

Mostly I love their hoppy beers. Particularly Boo-Koo, Heavy Cloud, and the Project-X series. Other main line offerings like Sin-Tax, Cali-Creamin and Milk-Truck are great also. Their premium line “Four Seasons” is…well… seasonal, and the heavy hitter Triple IPA has recently made a return. Called “Big Mother” this is a beast of a bear, you have been warned. Since its very beginning, ME has seen terrific growth with a line-up like this.

I read just this past week, the Boise taproom announced that “half pints” would also be available. Perhaps not of their high-octane selections that already are in a smaller serving size, but still the option of a “shorty” is great. A big part of my beer hobby is being able to try many different beers. Having to put down a full pint at a time can drag you down a bit.

Right in the heart of downtown, it is yet another nice craft beer destination, and is one of my regulars.

-Cheers