Pocatello brewery aims to draw beer lovers to Idaho’s ‘barley belt’
This story is the first in Project FARE’s 2022 Idaho Brewery Tour. We’ll be featuring breweries around the state throughout April for Idaho Craft Beer Month and May for American Craft Beer Week (May 16-22). Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for more stories.
Story and photos by Elise Barker
Davis and Hailee Gove, owners of Jim Dandy Brewing in Pocatello, want to celebrate the “barley belt” of the Snake River Plains.
“It’s not something people usually associate with Idaho, but we’re actually the No. 1 barley producer in the United States,” Davis said.
The Goves originally considered opening a full restaurant, but decided to put 100% of their effort into beer production, focusing on the use of fresh local hops and barley and the development of their brewing skills. The term jim-dandy is old-fashioned slang referring “to something excellent of its kind.” Hailee, who graduated from Idaho State University in 2012 with degrees in microbiology and chemistry, even draws from her experience as a microbiologist to create unique flavors. The Goves hope to create a jim-dandy product that can compete on the national stage and show off that Idaho is, indeed, a beer state.
Getting people to visit the region is another of the Goves’ goals.
Three beer offerings from Jim Dandy in Pocatello. | Photo by Elise Barker
“We’re working on making Jim Dandy into a destination brewery,” said Davis, who has wanted to open a brewery since he was a child. “We don’t distribute our beer. Everything is sold in house, so you have to come here to try it.”
Every item inside Jim Dandy Brewing has a story that connects to the local community.
“We also want to honor the city of Pocatello,” Hailee said..
The building itself used to be a repair shop popularly known as the “Volkswagen Graveyard,” which they raided to get the authentic patinated “bougie” metal decorating the walls behind the bar. Interior bricks were repurposed from a Blackfoot sugar beet factory, corrugated tin metal for the bar came from the barn of a local electrician and wooden table tops came from the tree at the old Presbyterian church.
But more than anything, the Goves want to support the community that has supported them.
“We were inspired by the original meaning of pub as ‘public house,’ a true community pillar and gathering place,” Hailee said.
Whether it’s through their non-profit pint-nights, the informal club of buddies meeting for a daily brew, an obligatory stop during Gate City Brewfest, or the place to land after attending First Friday ArtWalk, Jim Dandy Brewing certainly brings Pocatellans together.
Visit Jim Dandy:
305 E. Lander St., Pocatello
3-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday
3-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday Brunch
jimdandybrewing.com
