‘End of an era’: One of the ‘OGs’ of Boise beer, this local brewery will close soon

It’s only been 10 years, but it feels like a lifetime for Crooked Fence Brewing.

And now its keg is running dry on the Idaho beer scene.

On March 19, the brewery and taproom at 5220 N. Sawyer Lane in Garden City will close. Crooked Fence beers such as 3 Picket Porter and Hop Notion IPA will cease to be produced.

Along with Sockeye Brewing and Payette Brewing, Crooked Fence was one of the major players during the halcyon days of the Boise beer scene a decade ago. It helped jump-start the wave of local breweries that eventually flooded the Treasure Valley.

Founded in 2012 at 5242 W. Chinden Blvd. in Garden City, Crooked Fence became known not only for its craft beers, but the eye-catching artwork on its bottles, cans, growlers and posters. Customers lined up in the original intimate taproom for special $6 growler fills on Saturdays.

Crooked Fence expanded to a second location in 2013, opening Crooked Fence Barrelhouse restaurant at 5181 N. Glenwood St. The next year, Crooked Fence relocated its brewery to Eagle, also opening a restaurant on that property. The Barrelhouse in Garden City remained open but was sold to a new owner and rebranded. Crooked Fence’s original Garden City taproom was closed.

In 2017, the Eagle brewpub closed, too, but the brewery continued to produce beer. Then Crooked Fence changed ownership entirely around the start of 2018. The 15-barrel brewhouse was hauled back to Garden City — to a space with a taproom about a block away from Crooked Fence’s original home.

Crooked Fence will stay open for the next few weeks and plans to hold a closing party. Event information will be posted online, the brewery wrote on its Facebook page.

“End of an era!” commenter Noah Nesbitt replied. “So sad to see one of the OGs go away, but I get it, this town and the beer scene (have) changed and not for the better. Many great memories made with your delicious beers over the years! You will be missed!”

This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 8:04 AM.