CLEARWATER VALLEY — Clearwater Brewing Company just opened their taproom in Kamiah! We checked it out last weekend. It’s a small, casual place with a variety of craft beers and ciders on tap. (They also have a few wines and huckleberry Mountain Dew and huckleberry Pepsi). I’m happy to see they feature Idaho County beers with two of Wolftrack Brewery’s most popular beers from Cottonwood. Beer :30 owner, Brian Brokop worked for months on remodeling the building, installing equipment and pursuing various approvals from the city, county and State of Idaho. He finally got his liquor license on Thursday, Aug. 31, and opened on Friday, Sept. 1, just in time for Kamiah’s Barbecue Days. It seems the paperwork gods were finally smiling on him! In the week since he’s been opened he has had both locals and out-of-state visitors from Yakima, Washington and Arizona and things are going well.
Brian is a friendly, welcoming guy who’s clearly excited about his new business. He has 12 taps with beers, ales and ciders from all over the western U. S. ranging from nitro stout to IPA, African amber ale and pineapple cider. I couldn’t resist sampling the sour wench raspberry ale which had a uniquely delicious flavor. He does growler fills too, in case you want to take your beverages home. He offers simple snacks with cups of pretzels, peanuts and spicy snack mix for sale. He’s not brewing his own beer yet, that is planned for the next phase. He’s planning to have a grand opening in a few weeks. Once the smoke clears he plans to have some outdoor seating this fall.
If you want to try Beer :30 it’s at 212 Fir Street. Just turn off Highway 12 between Hahn equipment rental and the coffee drive-thru stand and look to your left behind the coffee place. It’s great to see that the combination of the coffee stand, Melissa’s Lunch box and Beer: 30 is turning that area into a hub of activity throughout the day.
An event called “The Creators: A Gathering of First Nation Artisans,” is planned at Lolo Pass Visitor Center on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will feature live performances by Nez Perce drummers and dancers. Authentic native arts and crafts will be for sale as well as demonstrations by various artisans. It sounds like great fun and it’s free to attend. If you have questions, contact the Lolo Pass Visitor Center at 208-942-3113.