Gate City Brewfest draws diverse crowd
The Gate City was busy Saturday with people sampling beer from all over the nation, to right here in the gem state.
While the focus was experiencing the taste of new beers, Brewfest isn’t just for people who like to drink beer.
“There’s a lot of great breweries here,” said Derek Struble from Odell Brewing.
For the breweries providing their beer on Saturday, it isn’t about trying to get everyone to pick a favorite, or even telling their taste-testers why their beer is the best.
“We’ve got all these great craft breweries that have the same collaborative spirit, the same idea of just making good beer,” Struble said. “It’s not about selling it to everybody, it’s about making good beer for a few.”
Brewfest, a fundraiser for the Pocatello Chamber of Commerce, has increased in size each year, going from ten brewers in its first year to 24 brewers in its third.
Live music was also provided for patrons at a few of the 12 locations, along with some food to make sure people didn’t just fill up on beer. Even if some people get a little tipsy, the chamber of commerce says it has yet to have any problems.
“It’s a great day, people really do have a lot of fun,” said Matt Hunter, a committee Chairperson for Brewfest. “We’ve added a shuttle this year which makes it a little bit safer. It’s a good event.”
Struble, who has been with Odell Brewing for about seven years, says that beer is just one aspect of Brewfest – friends and good times are often the key elements that go along with it.
“We’re proud to be part of it, we’re proud to provide a product people enjoy,” Struble said. “We come here to Pocatello – it’s part of that scene that’s growing – as well as the whole state of Idaho, where we can just share our product and be proud of it.”
While there were some who decided to just tag along with friends, or even act as a designated driver, the atmosphere in all locations was one of relaxation and good times.
The money from Brewfest will go to the Pocatello Chamber of Commerce and Old Town Pocatello to help fund their various community activities.
