COOL BREWS for hot summer nights
Back in 1987 when Tom Fisher opened T.W. Fisher's Brew Pub on the corner of Second and Lakeside in Coeur d'Alene, it was the first in Idaho and one of only a handful of brewpubs in the country. Their flagship beer, Centennial Pale Ale, coincided with Idaho's own centennial celebration. Tom's first taste of microbrew was at Paddy's Bar in Coeur d'Alene when he tried a Pyramid Snow Cap ale and the rest is local brewing history.
Around the time T.W.'s opened, Brian Smith was on an Alaska Airline flight to Portland when he was offered a free promotional bottle of a new microbrew from the Portland Brewing Company. Sampling generously before landing, he became a fan of the unique taste. Both Tom and Brian advise newcomers to the microbrew experience to approach it as an adventure similar to the culture the wine industry has cultivated. Visiting area breweries like Ponderay's Laughing Dog Brewery and the Coeur d'Alene Brewing Company is a good start. Order a "flight" of brews to sample the specialties. Major breweries saw a good thing and in recent years bought out some of the micro breweries, creating regional breweries that now produce thousands of barrels of beer distributed in several states.
Tom appreciates the craftsmanship involved in producing fine beers and praises those brewmeisters in the area for their quality products. While still loyal to Miller Lite, longtime sponsors of his softball team, Tom's taste in beer has expanded through the years. He says that half the time he'll order a light beer for half the calories. Brian's favorite "domestic" beer is actually brewed just across the Canadian border. Kokanee is a product of the Columbia Brewing Company in Creston, BC, which is a fun place to take a guided tour. He suggests bringing a designated driver and making a trip of it, through Sandpoint with a stop at Mick Duff's Brewing Company on your way north. Another expert observation is that while domestic beers taste best when served ice cold, not so with the micros, a consideration during the warmer summer months. You don't have to know how to pronounce Hefeweizen or that IPA refers to India Pale Ale, a complex four-malt blend with a bold taste, to enjoy the brewpub experience. An appreciation of cleverly-named and full-flavored brews is the ticket to the area's top taps. Tom's Tops
Brian's Best
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What do a Slow Elk, Flying Dog, Happy
Cow, Hot Chihuahua, Bad Goat and a Dead Guy have in
common? Along with Moose Drool, they're some of the
Northwest's favorite microbrewed ales.
