Category: Festivals

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.

SquawkyFest 2023

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Last Sunday, was the Idaho Historical Society’s 1st annual “SquawkyFest”. A local Craft Beer festival that shines a light on the clandestine practice of making fermented beverages under incarcerated or otherwise restricted environments. Idaho history site describes this as:

“Squawky was an alcohol that those incarcerated ‘brewed’ at the penitentiary. The name may have derived from everyone squawking like birds once they got a few cups in. Men who were incarcerated at the site grew their own fruit and vegetables, prepared their own meals, and even had a canning plant outside the walls where they could collect ingredients. Key ingredients and flavors that squawky might include were apples, oranges, potatoes, grapefruit, or prunes. Add in some yeast and sugar and let ferment for a few days – and you have Squawky!”

Local brewers taking part included, Edge, Meriwether, Bear Island, Sockeye, Spring Creek and Mad Swede. Each had a “squawky” entry as well as another of their “regular” offerings. Sockeye brought their summer seasonal Cervaza Limon, this years version made with real Key limes. Fresh and tasty. Bear Island had something a bit more experimental, a blended blonde made w/ Cucumbers, Jalapenos and Lemon. All three of the unique ingredients really came through on that one. ‘s Squawky Cider”

I thought Meriwether had the most unique entry today, an apple base, (they are a cider company after all) with oranges, fruit cocktail cups and raisons. I would say pretty true to style, as far as this “jungle juice” theme was concerned. This one was fruity, fairly sweet and lots of fruit medley flavor. As a home-brewer, of course I had to ask if they had any numbers on it, but again, true to the intent of this endeavour, they weren’t sure other than the estimated approximate 9% ABV. Fair enough.

The while thing was put on in in the “yard” on the outdoor basketball court. The doors were open to the old Penitentiary buildings and you could tour the place. It was a bit surreal to be “inside” and drinking local producers’ interpretations of what incarcerated individuals may have been producing within these walls back in the day.

BoiseBeerBuddies was there of course signing up folks interested in a membership to the areas best beer-deal club.

The weather looked threatening early on and indeed it rained on us while setting up. But just about noon, when the event was scheduled to open to the public, the sun came out and the wind died down and turned out to be a good day. A DJ with a great setlist was providing some tunes, and a couple of food trucks made the whole thing terrific.

I’ve brought up the topic of “First Annual” things in earlier posts, but this one had a unique flavor and an inherent curiosity mixed with a little Idaho history that should keep it a recurring theme for a few years to come. Next year I hope a few more local brewers will throw their hat in the ring or go a bit further out on a limb and come up with some experimental concoctions for us..

-Cheers

BBB