Bear Island Brewing Company

Newest kid on the block in Boise, placed in an underserved neighborhood. Packed on a Saturday evening. Bar, tables & booths make for a variety of seating options. 11 of their own taps, 1 euro, 2 cider, 2 wine. Average pricing, decent service.

Lively local joint in a fairly residential neighborhood. Small taproom with an L-shaped bar opposite the entrance that seats 8 or 10 with a few tables along the opposite wall. 10 or so beers on tap, I had the Idaho Potato which was solid. Definitely an unwind after work type of place.

Fun brewery location in middle-Boise, located within an old fire station (my brother, a Boise firefighter, still gets discounts at this place because of that fact). Modernized indoor seating area features a big bar area, side tables, and a large TC normally featuring sporting events. Fairly good selection from light to dark, hoppy and hazy to malty; the brews have good quality here, I will say that, they seem to know what they're doing. The menu has recently been revamped to feature beer/food pairings which are quite nice. Overall, a fun location for a date night or hangout; relatively quiet, though it is small-ish.

 

this place impressed me so much. usually the breweries in old firehouses run by veterans yield some pretty uninspired beers, more about patriotism than good beer, thats just been my experience, so i was delighted to find some really awesome liquid in here, far more interesting and creative than i expected, huge props to these folks for doing something unique. the space is beautiful, a rebuilt firehouse apparently, but it all looks and smells brand new, lots of light, a long bar, vibrant energy in here, a little loud with a big weekend crowd, but some acoustic treatment would easily remedy that. its brightly lit, super clean, and feels inviting. they have a way cool list of beers, not tons of them, but really cool selection, an ipa and a belgian tripel employing idaho grown potatoes, a scotch ale with heather, a pale ale with fresh jalapenos, all pretty inspired and each that i had was quite good. they seem to be doing some really thoughtful stuff. the lady behind the bar was real friendly and kind, and the female brewer was fun to chat with, really knowledgeable, and humble too, the service and interaction really enhanced my experience here. i have already seen their beer all around the market here in boise, but i suspect this is only the beginning and that they are headed for pretty big things here, the beer is to smart to not make waves. looking forward to watching them evolve and grow up, cant wait to see what they brew next! dont judge this book by its cover!