CopenRoss Crafthouse & Grill is a great beer spot in South Boise on Overland near the Hillcrest golf course. With over 70 distinct taps it’s selection is unmatched and a dozen or so of these are ciders, if you are of that persuasion, As of this writing, there are several big bad barrel aged items on as well. Copenross is also one of the few places in town with a cask ale on tap. They have a full menu of appetizers, burgers and sandwiches as well and are open every afternoon/evening.
New owners and expansion
CopenRoss opened in early 2018 as CopenRoss Growlers (pictured). Back then it was mainly a filling station. A place to stop in and take home a growler of your favorite pour. Or fill up one you bring in. When ownership changed a couple of years ago, things grew into a more complete experience, including a real kitchen and an expanded menu. The taps all stayed right where they were, but now there’s plenty of food to go with them. It’s definitely become a craft beer destination.
Know Your Pour: Tap-house vs. Taproom vs. Brewpub
In craft beer lingo, a few similar-sounding terms mean different things. A brewpub is fundamentally a restaurant that also brews beer on site, so food is a big part of the business. A taproom, on the other hand, is a space built around serving and sampling a brewery’s own beer, often with limited food or none at all. Both brew on premise and, aside from the occasional guest tap, pour what they make. Usually a dozen or so offerings at a time. A taphouse skips the brewing and instead serves a rotating lineup from other breweries. The naming differences exist partly for legal reasons, but the short version is that CopenRoss is a taphouse.
Great Staff and Unique Offerings
Kevin is usually there working the tap line that must be 30 feet long. He can give a curious customer a little what’s what on any of them. For me it is a great spot for a pint or 2 after work, and every week there seems to be a couple new ones on line to try. CopenRoss is one of the retailers for Freedom Distributing, based here in Boise/Meridian. These guys launched just a year or so ago. They have been bringing in a few Californian and Washington beers that have not historically made it here in Idaho. Enengren, Level, Farmers, and a few others, come in on a Freedom truck. Its nice to see some other options in a market that Hayden and Stien have historically had such a large share.
Copenross is also a “Buddy Hub”. For any out there that do not know, they are one of the many locations where a Boise Beer Buddies membership gets you a good deal when you show your card. Here it gets you a dollar off your first beverage and Happy Hour all day Sundays. Sign up and check out some other Buddy Hubs around Boise and beyond.
I’m a somewhat of regular here and even though my stomping grounds are on the west side, CopenRoss is always on my shortlist whenever I’m thirsty in South Boise.
-Cheers