Still ‘thriving,’ Boise brewery closes taproom; another secures in-house canning line
Crack a cold one and catch up on the latest Boise beer news.
A well-known brewery just closed its doors to customers. And another just acquired the use of an in-house canning line.
Taproom closure
Longtime Boise brand Woodland Empire Beer Co., 1114 W. Front St., shuttered its taproom after a final day Thursday.
The well-known local brand will keep brewing beer there before shifting production to Lost Grove Brewing, 1026 S. La Pointe St., next spring.
“With our lease ending, we’ve made the decision to consolidate and focus on what we do best: crafting beer with purpose,” Woodland Empire wrote on social media. “While the taproom is closing, Woodland Empire Beer Company continues to thrive, with production at our R&D brewery at Bittercreek Alehouse and in collaboration with our friends at Lost Grove Brewing.”
Opened in 2014 as Woodland Empire Ale Craft, the brewery changed hands in 2022. The owners are Dave Krick and his wife and business partner, Jami Adams, who own Bittercreek Alehouse, Diablo & Sons and Red Feather Lounge; David Roberts, general manager at Bittercreek, Diablo and Red Feather; and Jake Black, owner of Lost Grove.
The beer side of Woodland Empire’s business is going well, Krick said in an email. And the taproom location on Front Street has potential, he added. But they haven’t been able to give it enough attention.
So the decision was made to consolidate production at Lost Grove.
“We also own a small warehouse on Lusk, just behind Lost Grove,” Krick said, “so it makes more sense to focus over there, gives us options to think about in a property we own.”
Canning line
Community-owned Boise Brewing, 521 Broad St., has upgraded with an in-house canning line.
Mobile operation Boise River Canning recently announced it planned to cease operations. That left local breweries such as Boise Brewing, Mad Swede and White Dog “scrambling to fill the void in their canning abilities,” said Collin Rudeen, founder of Boise Brewing.
Regina Hays, one of Boise Brewing’s more than 800 investors, purchased the canning equipment. The brewery has leased the canning line exclusively in a seven-year deal that costs less than it paid before, Rudeen said.
No longer mobile, the canning operation has been set up at Boise Brewing, which now finds itself in a more secure business position, Rudeen added.
“Without the ability to can our beer, we were worried about losing our shelf space in grocery stores and other retail outlets,” he said. “That would have a serious effect on our sales and brand visibility.”
This story was originally published November 22, 2024 at 11:37 AM.