‘It’s always yummy’ at this Boise brewery. It just opened a new kitchen — with beer pairings.

It’s tough to top the freshness of local beer. And it’s hard to beat the consistency of a permanent kitchen.

So prepare to work up a thirst — and an appetite — for Bear Island Brewing Co.

The veteran-owned brewery at 1620 N. Liberty St. (near the corner of Fairview Avenue) just added food service. The kitchen is in soft opening mode. There are only four menu options for now. But what a mouthwatering bonus for neighborhood beer drinkers in west Boise.

Better yet? Each menu selection includes a suggested pairing from Bear Island’s tap arsenal. Be confident the recommendations are spot-on, too. The kitchen is run by Matt Gelsthorpe, whose resume includes beer-expertise roles at the Boise Co-op and Bittercreek Alehouse.

Here’s the current “Bites” menu, available from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday:

▪ “I Don’t Want to Wait” ($3): Toasted Acme Bakeshop focaccia, cheese and house marinara. Suggested pairing: Idaho Potato Ale.

▪ “Twist and Schrei:” ($5): Acme Bakeshop pretzel with Brewhouse #6 cheese sauce. Add mustard, pickled onion and sweet gherkin for $1. Suggested pairing: Brewhouse #6, a European-style house pilsner.

▪ “It’s Always Yummy in Philadelphia” ($7): Italian-style, slow-roasted pork with sharp provolone and pepperoncini on Acme Bakeshop focaccia, with house-dressed greens. Suggested pairing: Prime In Pale Ale.

▪ “With a Little Help From My Friends” ($9): Acme Bakeshop baguette crostini with hard-boiled egg, sharp cheddar, Genoa salami, butter, pickled onion and sweet gherkin. (Also available as a salad.) Suggested pairing: BearFaced Brown, a honey-nut brown ale.

Food trucks will continue — sometimes

Want to spice things up? Wash down your meal with a glass of Fuse Pale Ale, which is lightly hopped with jalapenos. (Not an officially suggested pairing — but good stuff!)

Since opening a taproom in late 2018, Bear Island has welcomed food trucks on site. The trucks will continue on Mondays, Tuesdays and other random occasions. But firing up an on-site kitchen seemed inevitable. After all, Bear Island took over an old fire station.

Until recently, Beth and Steve Bechtel — CEO and Chief Brewing Officer, and COO and Lead Brewing Officer — crafted Bear Island’s beers using a four-barrel system in their home’s two-car garage. But a few weeks ago, Bear Island finally got a shiny 10-barrel system licensed and rocking in the building’s old firetruck bays.

A brewhouse? A taproom? An outdoor patio? A kitchen? “Boise’s biggest little brewery” isn’t so small anymore.

▪ Taproom hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 2 to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.