Boise, Idaho has not traditionally been known as a beer town, but things are changing. Dozens of Boise breweries have popped up, and even more out-of-town breweries are moving into town. If you find yourself in the City of Trees, here are some of the best breweries in Boise, Idaho.

Note: There are a lot of amazing breweries in Boise – but for this article, we chose to only include breweries based specifically in Boise. Which means this does not include any breweries based in nearby towns, or breweries based out of town but with a brewpub in Boise.

Click the links below to skip to any of the following sections:

Sockeye Brewing
Highlands Hollow
Boise Brewing
Barbarian Brewing
Payette Brewing Company
Edge Brewing Company
Woodland Empire Ale Craft
Clairvoyant Brewing
White Dog Brewing
Cloud 9 Brewery
Crooked Fence

Sockeye Brewing

Sockeye Website

Sockeye Brewing is one of the only Boise breweries on the list that is more than a few years old. Sockeye is actually a staple of the Boise area, and has been around since 2002 when they opened their first restaurant.

Sockeye Brewing brews and cans their beer in their own restaurant and other locations they own, and it’s clear they have their process down. Their beers range from cream ales to IPAs to a wheat and porter.

In the last few years, they moved to the current location, which gave them a lot more room to grow. You can find them (including their restaurant) near Fairview and Cloverdale in Boise.

Location:

Sockeye Brewing
12542 W Fairview Avenue
Boise, Idaho 83713
(208) 322-5200

Highlands Hollow

Highlands Hollow Website

Highlands Hollow (along with Sockeye) is one of the most down-to-earth breweries in Boise. They are also one of the oldest on this list, having opened the restaurant in 1968. They began their microbrewery in 1992. The building encompasses pieces of Boise history, having been built with wood from the original Boise State stadium. Their walls are made up of a collection of beer cans and beer coasters from around the world.

Highland Hollow has a full menu, with many traditional dishes. Their beer ranges from IPA to Russian Stout to Wheat and Brown Ale.

You can find the Boise brewery in the Boise Northend near the corner of Hill Road and Harrison Boulevard. It’s the perfect place to grab a beer on your way home from a day of skiing at Bogus Basin.

Location:

Highlands Hollow
2455 Harrison Hollow Lane
Boise, Idaho 83702
(208) 343-6820

Boise Brewing

Boise Brewing Website

Boise Brewing is located in a former music venue, and connected to the Boise Weekly – the local weekly newspaper. Boise Brewing is a downtown Boise brewery, and started as a Kickstarter campaign in 2012 with the concept of “Community Supported Beer.”

The concept meant that anyone could purchase a piece of the Boise brewery and become a part owner. In 2014, with the investment of nearly 300 people, Boise Brewing opened their doors.

Boise Brewing offers a tasting room and private keg sales, and their beer light pale ales to heavy India Pale Ales. Seasonal beers include an Amber Lager, Chocolate Milk Stout, and a Red Cream Ale.

Location:

Boise Brewing
521 W. Broad St.
Boise, ID 83702
(208) 342-7655

Barbarian Brewing

Barbarian Brewing Website

Barbarian Brewing sets itself apart from other breweries in the area by specializing in sour beers and barrel-aged beers. Barbarian was started in 2015 and, like many breweries in Boise, offers a taproom with beer only. However, you can order food into the restaurant if you want a bite to eat to go with it.

Barbarian Beer also started as a Kickstarter campaign but has since grown into a larger brewery with nearly a dozen employees.

Besides the sours and barrel-aged beers, Barbarian also prides themselves in their IPAs, Belgian ales, dark and malty styles, Ice Cream Ales, and cocktail-inspired beers.

Location:

Barbarian Brewing
Garden City Brewery & Taproom
5270 Chinden Blvd.
Garden City, ID 83714
(208) 375-5639

Barbarian Brewing
Downtown Boise Taproom
1022 W. Main St.
Boise, ID 83702
(208) 387-2739

Payette Brewing Company

Payette Brewing Website

Payette Brewing is one of the “older” breweries in Boise — having been started in 2010. It may also be one of the most recognizable — because they have done an amazing job with retailing their brand. They are available in many stores throughout Boise and surrounding areas.

The new-ish Payette Brewing Taproom is located right on the Boise Greenbelt and near the Boise River in downtown Boise. Like many of the other breweries, Payette does not offer food but does offer a beer garden with food trucks on a regular basis.

The Payette Taproom is within walking distance to other downtown landmarks, including the Boise Art Museum, Idaho State Historical Museum, and Boise State University.

Location:

Payette Brewing Company
733 Pioneer St.
Boise, ID 83702
(208) 344-0011

Edge Brewing Company

Edge Brewing Website

Edge Brewing is one of the newer kids on the brewery block in Boise, with a restaurant located in West Boise. They also distribute their beer across the state and even further regionally.

Edge’s Boise location, the Edge Brewpub, does have food, unlike many of their counterparts, with more of a restaurant concept than a taproom. They have a full menu and a full tap list as well.

They also recently opened a downtown Boise brewery location, with a full menu and all the beers at their other location.

Location:

Edge Brewing Company
525 North Steelhead Way
Boise, ID 83704
Phone: (208) 995-2979

Edge Pub
205 N. 10th Street
Empire Building
Boise, ID 83702
Phone: (208) 972-5700

Woodland Empire Ale Craft

Woodland Empire Website

Woodland Empire Brewery opened in 2014 in a location that used to be a row of auto repair shops — but which now encompasses a number of breweries and other restaurants. Woodland Empire is located off Front Street, one of the main arteries in Boise.

Woodland Empire explains their name best on their Facebook page:

“Woodland Empire is our tongue-in-cheek way of saying ‘City of Trees,’ which is the nickname for the great city in which we live. Why ‘Ale Craft?’ Making beer is a trade, a craft. In our minds, that level of quality that separates mass-produced from craft beer is the thought behind its creation.”

Location:

Woodland Empire Ale Craft
1114 W Front Street
Boise, ID, 83702
(208) 426-0510

Clairvoyant Brewing

Clairvoyant Brewing Website

Clairvoyant Brewing was established in 2012 and is located just outside of downtown Boise in a cool old building with a garage-front window, which is mostly open during the summer making for a perfect beer environment.

Clairvoyant regularly has food truck outside their tasting room. If you are looking for a place to watch a game, Clairvoyant Brewing has plenty of TVs, making it a fun environment to get together with your friends for your favorite team.

Their Zwickl is especially delicious, but comes in a large glass — so don’t think just because it’s under 5.0% ABV that you can drink more than you normally would (trust me, from experience).

Location:

Clairvoyant Brewing
2800 W. Idaho Street
Boise, ID 83702
Phone: (208) 996-0095

White Dog Brewing

White Dog Website

Like many of the breweries in Boise, White Dog Brewing was started by friends in their garage. White Dog is located in downtown Boise, about a block from the Boise River and Boise Greenbelt.

This Boise brewery has a great atmosphere for a game, a date, dinner, or even a work function. They even have a great backroom to rent out if you need it for an event.

Their beers range from their lightest River Beer (at 4.8% ABV) to their New England Hazy IPA (at 6.8% ABV). They also have plenty in between, including a Nut Brown, Irish Stout, and many different Sours.

Location:

White Dog Brewing
705 W Fulton Street
Boise, Idaho 83702
(208) 906-0609

Cloud 9 Brewery

Cloud 9 Website

Cloud 9 Brewery in Boise is located in an interesting location — they are in a sort of strip mall next to a grocery store. But somehow it works. Their restaurant and outdoor patio are packed most of the time, and it’s not a surprise — both their food and beer are delicious and always surprising.

Cloud 9 was founded in 2012 and is focused on organic ingredients and what they call “creative brewing.” They have a number of beers on tap all year-round, as well as plenty of seasonal drinks as well.

Location:

Cloud 9 Brewery
1750 W State St
Boise, ID 83702
(208) 336-0681

Crooked Fence Brewing Company

Crooked Fence Website

Crooked Fence launched in 2012 and is also only a brewery and taproom, but they do have a number of food trucks on a daily basis. Even though they are currently in Garden City, we are including them on this list because they have previously been in Boise and are only a few minutes away from downtown.

Like many of the other breweries, Crooked Fence’s selection includes IPAs, red ales, pale ales, porters, stouts, and even a raspberry blonde.

Location:

Crooked Fence Brewing Company
5220 N Sawyer Ave.
Garden City, ID 83714
(208) 375-7907

Although Boise isn’t necessarily known for its brewery scene, it is one of the fastest growing and vibrant communities in the country. Larger breweries, like 10 Barrel, have made their home in Boise as well, which means if you want to do a brewery tour in downtown, there are plenty of options for you.

TELL US – Did we miss a brewery? What should we add to our list?