When it comes to beer in the Magic Valley, Koto Brewing Co. is the place to be. From porters to blondes, IPAs to cream ales, Koto covers the gamut of flavor preferences. 

But for head brewer Pierre Tusow, nothing beats the 2nd Base IPA. 2nd Base is a double dry-hopped version of the Table Base IPA, one of Koto’s most popular beers. 

If you don’t like beer, the owners of Barbarian Brewing think they can change your mind.

While Barbarian specializes in sours, co-owner Bre Hovley assures that everyone can find something to like out of their diverse beer lineup, which has included 300 different varieties over the years. Enthusiasts can even sign up for a brewery membership that includes access to special barrel-aged beers released quarterly, along with a discount in their Boise and Garden City taprooms.

On a sunny evening after a week of April snow, Groundwork Brewery’s outdoor patio was packed nearly shoulder to shoulder on a Wednesday night in Lewiston. While local musician Ben Wagner performed on a small stage crafted from a shipping container, customers of all ages enjoyed drinks and food.

“Music nights are my favorite,” said Amanda Rigney, co-owner and manager of Groundwork. “The environment is fun, the music is fun and it’s a good way to make people happy. That’s pretty easy with pizza and beer.”

When it opened, Radio Brewing Company was the first brewery in the town of Kellogg—and five years later, it remains the only one. Owners Ashley and Fred Mehaffie bring years of brewing experience to Idaho’s Silver Valley, and they’re planning to use those skills to expand. . The Mehaffies recently purchased the former Kellogg City Hall, Library and Firehall building that is next to their current taphouse.

When Daniel Love and his Mother Earth Brewing Company business partners decided to expand out of California six years ago, Idaho offered everything they were looking for. 

They wanted to open shop in Boise because the city is where everything was happening, Love said. In December, their dream of a downtown Boise tasting room came to fruition.

Spring is the season for celebrating fantastic local beer and the people who make it: April is Idaho Craft Beer Month, and May 16-22 is American Craft Beer Week.

At Project FARE, we love telling the stories behind the things you love to eat and drink, so we’re honoring the hoppy, malty, sour season for the next six weeks with a virtual tour of breweries across Idaho.

Davis and Hailee Gove, owners of Jim Dandy Brewing in Pocatello, want to celebrate the “barley belt” of the Snake River Plains. 

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.

Shortly after Russia began its horrific, internationally condemned invasion of Ukraine, Boise’s Mad Swede Brewing Company heard about the resistance efforts of Ukrainian brewery Pravda Brewing, who are using their equipment to manufacture molotov cocktails and have asked brewers around the world to “brew for Ukraine.”

Nestled at the at the base of Lone Mountain and next to the Selkirk mountain range sits Lone Mountain Farms & Brewery, a diverse farm and brewery with fields of rare grains, hops, vegetables, and foraging chickens.

The location of Lone Mountain Farms is perfect for growing hops and grains, which allows owners Luke and Emily Black a unique opportunity to create beers grown and brewed on the same farm. They are devoted to seeking out rare and unique grains from all over the world, searching for the most flavorful grains to brew into their farm-craft beers.

Photos by Annie Zasadny