Between ‘rock and hard place,’ this Boise brewery planned to close. Then came a ‘miracle’
A Boise brewery and taphouse that planned to close at the end of March will keep pouring beers after all.
Clairvoyant Brewing Co., 2800 W. Idaho St., will remain open, it revealed Thursday on social media.
“A MIRACLE HAS HAPPENED!” Clairvoyant proclaimed.
Details about the cause of the announced closure were as clear as a hazy IPA when Clairvoyant shared the news in January. Either way, it was a bummer. Opened in 2017, Clairvoyant had grown into a well-known neighborhood hangout.
In a message Friday, co-owner Ryan Kowalczyk said it boiled down to seemingly near-insurmountable lease and building ownership challenges that piled up quickly. “We were put in between a rock and a hard place,” he said.
To make matters worse, Clairvoyant’s expansion location in Garden City — opened in 2022 but shuttered two years later — had “turned out to be a liability instead of an asset.”
But through a twist of fate, things are back on track. Kowalczyk and co-owner Mike Edmondson have signed papers at the Idaho Street location — with a developer who “has frequented Clairvoyant Brewing on occasion and likes what we’ve done there. He wants us to stay. He made us a reasonable lease offer and we accepted.”
“We love the neighborhood, and it has always been part of our vision,” Kowalczyk said. “When we thought it was over, the patrons gave us hope. We had an outpouring of condolences and sadness. This care alone drove us to keep it alive. ... It’s definitely been a roller coaster of emotions and stress. The passion is still alive.
“... In order to survive, we lost some of our great staff. Initially there will be fewer Clairvoyant beer choices. However, the gaps will be filled with quality guest taps, local and worldly. We brought back red and white wine, hard cider, hard seltzer, canned cocktails, gluten-free beer, and non-alcoholic beer and drinks. It will be a hybrid between brewery and taphouse.
“We will slowly build back the brewery. (Clairvoyant) will remain kid- and dog-friendly. We will continue to do what we do best — brew great beer and provide a welcoming neighborhood environment. We’re excited to get back to work!”
This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 10:01 AM.