Last call: Seven breweries and bars that said goodbye in the Boise area in 2022

When you’re out celebrating on New Year’s Eve, raise a toast to your favorite local watering hole.

Not all of them survived 2022.

Here are breweries and bars that said goodbye in the Boise area during the past year.

Crooked Fence Brewing Co.

Crooked Fence was one of the Big Three local breweries during the halcyon days of the Boise beer scene a decade ago, along with Sockeye and Payette. But ownership and location changes finally resulted in the end of the road after a 10-year run. Crooked Fence, which had last relocated to 5220 N. Sawyer Lane in Garden City, closed in March.

County Line Brewing Co.

County Line Brewing, 9115 W. Chinden Blvd., poured its final beer in March. The Garden City operation was sold to a Boise brewery, Clairvoyant. For the husband-and-wife team who owned County Line, it was a chance for a life change: “We’ve been really fortunate,” Zack Kiehl said. For Clairvoyant, the new location was an opportunity to more than triple its production potential and expand with a second taproom.

Craft Brewers of Boise

The Craft Brewers of Boise brand ceased to exist in late 2022. The brewery, tap room and bottle shop at 420 N. Orchard St. changed ownership earlier in the year. It has been rebranded as New Colony Beer Company, which recently unveiled a new sign and logo paying tribute to Idaho’s parachuting-beaver legacy.

Eastside Tavern

The Eastside Tavern, 610 E. Boise Ave., closed at the end of April. Nestled in a corner of Eastgate Shopping Center, it had served the area for nearly three decades. “After over 27 years as a locally owned, neighborhood bar, the Eastside Tavern will be no more as of the end of April,” it wrote on Facebook. But the Eastside soon reappeared at ... .

Cricket’s Tavern

After pouring drinks at 1228 S. Oakland Ave. for decades, Cricket’s shuttered at the end of May. Over the years, Cricket’s was a drinking destination for customers ranging from neighborhood regulars to Boise State students. But Cricket’s didn’t stay dark long. By the end of summer, the recently shuttered Eastside Tavern had moved into the space and been reborn — with entertainment ranging from NFL Sunday Ticket to live local music, including a regular open mic and jam.

The Gathering Place

The Gathering Place was a local favorite for more than a decade in downtown Eagle. Located in the historic Orville Jackson’s Eagle Drug Store building, it filled a traditional, small-town bar role: potent cocktails, cold beers, pool tables, shuffleboard. Sports on TV, too — notably, Idaho Vandals football. But the watering hole at 50 E. State St. closed after a final round of drinks Oct. 30. Mark Fitzpatrick, who owns Stone Crossing events venue in Boise, purchased the bar and building. He plans to reopen it in mid-January rebranded as Old State Saloon, he said.

Spacebar Arcade

When Spacebar Arcade closed in early April after nine years, the downtown bar and classic arcade announced that it would move a coin toss away — from the basement level at 200 N. Capitol Blvd. to 620 W. Idaho St. That still hasn’t happened. But its old spot has been reopened as Voodoo Cellar, a “macabre sports bar.”

This story was originally published December 28, 2022 at 12:15 PM.