This weekend marked Gem State Brewing Company’s second anniversary. Over that time, Chris and Kristl have added another year of experience and produced approximately 70 unique beers. I’ve done my best to sample every one of them along the way. From the day it opened, Gem State has been a popular destination and has continued to draw Eagle locals as the only game in town—at least as far as a true brewery taproom is concerned
It’s all about the Lincolns
Since opening day, Chris at Gem State has been committed to a 5$/ ”full pour” pricing scheme. Most are pints, some are slightly smaller tulips. This raised a few eyebrows and piqued some interest as 7$ pints had been making their way into the local beer scene. I figure this had to be a real shot in the arm for getting thirsty beer drinkers in the door and butts in seats early on. Good beer, and regular, rotating styles and seasonals, have been keeping everyone coming back for 2 years now. Myself included.
Gem State is not big on deals, punch cards, or frequent flier discounts. Just keeping it simple. 5 Bucks. Not even a “happy hour.” But for that price, what do you want… free popcorn too? OK, well, they do have that. It’s been a great marketing tool and fills a niche, economically, in the local craft beer scene.
This price point has worked well and has likely been partly determinative of the styles typically produced. Relatively few beers have emerged from Gem State’s fermenters above 6.5% ABV, which helps keep the cost of goods reasonable. Lower ABV, generally means less grain to buy. Hops, however, are expensive, and there have still been plenty of hop-forward pale ales and IPAs over the past few years—just no “double” or “imperial” offerings to date. Honest Abe would be proud.
Birthday Celebration
The weekend birthday celebration introduced a couple of new beers, including last week’s Night Run stout, and at just over 7% ABV, I had to ask if everything was OK in the back. Chris assured me that this was, in fact, planned and that it is still just 5$. Albeit this one was served in a 12-oz tulip. Fair enough.
Also new on Saturday’s tap list was Night Owl, a coffee stout featuring a soft, slightly sweet coffee character within an otherwise smooth, highly drinkable dark beer. It would not be surprising if these two new stouts shared more than just similar names. There are potential efficiency and labor savings in splitting a beer during the brewing process, flavoring one portion to yield two distinct beers from a single brew day.
The anniversary shenanigans included The Hood Burger food truck set up on the patio, making burgers and sandwiches and such. The “smash-burger” I had was terrific, and it paired quite well with the “Through the Pines” pale ale. If I do say so.
After 2 Years in the books, Gem State started with a terrific launch and seems firmly entrenched as a craft beer fixture in downtown Eagle, ID. A spot that’s been popular from the very beginning, making great beer, and is positioned to be a destination for good beer for years to come.
-Cheers
