2020, THE COVID YEAR IN REVIEW

 TEN NEW BREWERIES OPENED IN 2020

Bud and Greta Mohr at Idaho's newest brewery

by Bob Hubler

The Year 2020 will always remembered as the COVID Year.  The year that the government shut down small businesses to attempt to control the COVID Pandemic.  Many small businesses did not survive the shutdowns and there will be more that will fail in 2021 due to the impact of the COVID Pandemic. Please remember to support your local breweries!

SURPRISINGLY TEN NEW IDAHO BREWERIES OPENED IN 2020

100 Eight Twelve Main Brewery in Caldwell
101 Groundwork Brewing in Lewiston
102 Off The Rails Brewing in Pocatello
103 Loose Screw Beer Co. in Garden City (formerly Bella Brewing)
104 Trails End Brewery in  Coeur d'Alene
105 Spring Creek Brewing Company North of Eagle
106 Blue Pit Brewing in Mountain Home
107 Idaho Farm House Ales in Shelley (No Tap House)
108 Star Route Brewing in Pocatello
109 Twisted District Brew Co. in Garden City

The numbering system above is based on the number of total breweries opened in Idaho during the Craft Brewing Era.   Idaho started 2020 with 73 active brewers and ended the year with 81 active breweries for a net gain of 8 breweries.  Two Breweries closed during the year and Bella Brewing added new owners and became Loose Screw Beer Co.

THE LIST OF BREWERIES THAT CLOSED IN 2020:

16 Bertram's Salmon Valley Brewing in Salmon
31 Von Scheidt' Brewing in Twin Falls

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SUMMARY OF THE IDAHO BREWERY ACTIVITY IN  2020

  The Treasure Valley now has 29 breweries with two more ready to open in 2021, but the biggest brewery boom is in Eastern Idaho where Pocatello now has 4 breweries within one mile of one another.  Two years ago, there was only Penny Pink's Portneuf Valley Brewing.  Forty five minutes to north, Idaho Falls has 3 breweries and another forty five minutes to the east of Idaho Falls, there are two breweries in Victor and another two breweries in Driggs. Teton County in southeast Idaho can claim the most breweries per capita with a brewery for every 3,000 people. 

North Idaho has two new breweries bringing the number of their total breweries to 29 tied for the most with Southwestern Idaho.   Lewiston has a brewery again with the  addition of Groundwork Brewing.  They lost MJ Barley Hoppers in 2018.

Idaho added 75 new breweries in the last decade while closing 15 breweries over the same period.  Only 21 breweries open today started pouring their beer before this decade. Idaho has approximately one brewery for every 22,000 people living in Idaho.  That puts Idaho in the top ten states by brewery per capita.

The question is "Are there enough breweries in Idaho or are there too many?"  I know Eagle needs a brewery and Caldwell could use another Brewery.  How about Meridian?  I think there is still room for new breweries in the state and I am really looking forward to a new brewery near Melba.  Is this the year that it opens?

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CURRENT LIST OF IDAHO BREWERIES

List of Idaho Breweries - Includes a list of every craft beer brewery  that has opened in Idaho since Time Batt's Snake River Brewery between Caldwell and Notus.  Also includes a complete list of all the breweries that have opened and closed in that time.  There is a list of breweries that plan to open in the near future too.

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IDAHO BREWERY #109 TWISTED DISTRICT BREW CO

TWISTED DISTRICT BREW CO IN GARDEN CITY

By Bob Hubler

Ed Danti and Greta Mohr opened Idaho's 109th Brewery on Friday,  December 18, 2020.  Twisted District becomes the Treasure Valley's 29th brewery and the 81st Idaho brewery currently  in operation.  It also fills the gap between Western Collective and Loose Screw in Garden City.  Garden City now has 7 breweries, but only one Brew Pub!  That would be Twisted District Brew which has a kitchen.

This brewery is the most unique brewery in Idaho as the beer is actually brewed in New Zealand and Germany.  The wort is then sent to Bud Mohr where he ferments it in one of his four 5BBL fermentors.  Bud also dry hops the soon to be beer.  That means their German style beer really was brewed in Germany.  Bud works with the foreign brewers to develop the recipes for the beer brewed over there. You can't get that anywhere else in Idaho.

Twisted District Brew Co is the 11th Brew Pub in the valley which means they serve food from their own kitchen.  Twisted District is Garden Cities only Brew Pub. They have no grill, so no burgers or fries,  but a decent array of Dogs, Salads, Briskets, and Chili.  Check out their menu here.

I had the Buffalo Brat which was excellent and my wife had the deviled eggs that were very good too.  Buddy Mike really liked the Guinness Beer Brat.

Twisted District will open at 11:00 7 Days a week.  Check their facebook page for closing times.

P.S.  These guys are a Beer Buddies Hub

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Bud Mohr, Head Brewer

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This brewery is a family affair with one of the co-owners, Greta working with her son, Bud, the Brewer.

Brewer Bud Mohr with his mother, Greta Mohr

The other owner is Ed Danti, Greta's boyfriend.
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Check the Flight Holders in the photos below:

Bud preparing flights of his beer

Bud serving the Beer flights to customers

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The brewery has no HTL, Mash Tun, nor Brew Kettle.  It has four 5BBL refrigerated Fermenters.  I asked Bud if there were any plans in the future to brew their own wort.  He told me probably not, as they were very happy with the current plan.

Front View of the Fermentors

Side View of the Fermentors

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Twisted District Brew Co. is another great addition to Brewers Row in Garden City.

Twisted District Webpage

Twisted District Facebook

Current List of Idaho Breweries

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The Star Route Brewery opened in Pocatello about a week prior to the opening of the Twisted District Brew Co.  

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