Sockeye Brewing Boise Idaho
It was the day after my friend’s wedding and I was on the move. I had left the reception early the night before. When I say early I mean 11:30 pm. My friends and the wedding party had fun well into the morning. I had to drive to my accommodations so the responsible thing to do was cut myself off and turn in for the night. This of course resulted in me being up at 7 am while the rest of my friends had only had a few winks of sleep by that point. I milled around Boise until a reasonable texting time, 10 am, to see if anyone wanted to meet for breakfast. They were of course still asleep. There is nothing worse than having the responsible person text you after a long night.
I was leaving Boise a day earlier than all of my friends. I felt that leaving a day early and taking a short road trip home was going to be less expensive for me than staying in Boise. What can I say? We all like to drink tasty beverages and eat good food! I would however hit up one brewery before I left, Sockeye Brewing. I was meeting up with another friend, Andrea, who had not attended the wedding.
I arrived at Sockeye Brewing and found a table. It was not my typical spot at a brewery, as I prefer the bar but Andrea had her daughter along with another baby on the way. A pregnant person and a bar stool do not mix well. Andrea and I have known each other for about 23 years. We will go many years between seeing each other but always seem to pick up right where we left off. To me that is the sign of a true friendship.
The Socktoberfest
It was clear that “Auntie Brittany” would be the only one enjoying adult beverages this day. I ordered my first beer the Socktoberfest. It was September and near Oktoberfest time, which happens to be my favorite time of year. Sure the changing leaves are pretty but it is really the Oktoberfest beer that I enjoy most about Fall. This beer has a 6.5% Alcohol By Volume (ABV) and a 25 International Bittering Unit (IBU). The Socktoberfest is a delightful lager with flavorful spicy and toasted malty notes of goodness. Like most Oktoberfest beers this is a seasonal.
Andrea and I continued to chat as we waited for the food that we had ordered for lunch. Once the food arrived it was not overly amazing. I had the chicken Cesar wrap with fries. It did it’s job but it kind of phoned in its job that day. The pub menu spans wide with appetizers, wraps, burgers and a small collection of entrees. Pricing is reasonable, ranging between $6 to $15 USD.
The Angel’s Perch Amber
My last beer taste was the Angel’s Perch Amber. This beer has a 4.5% ABV and a 15 IBU. This is an unfiltered amber ale that is also classified as a red ale. This beer is not overly hoppy, which is not surprising with the low IBU. The beer was more malty than I am typically used to, however still a solid beer with good flavor.
You may be wondering if I fell down and hit my head as typically I have an IPA tasting at any brewery I go to. Well fear not, I did not fall down. Being that Sockeye Brewing is an Idaho brewery I support them as often as I can by purchasing their beers from my local stores. On the day that I visited Sockeye Brewing I decided to try beers that I do not typically drink. Probably their most recognizable beer is the Dagger Falls IPA. This beer is by far my favorite beer of their offerings and is often found in my fridge at home. The Dagger Falls IPA has a 6.7% ABV and a 100 IBU. This beer is flavorful in hops and has an excellent bite to it. The citrus and pine flavors work well together making this beer a fantastic summertime drinking beer, although I drink it year round.
Another IPA offered from Sockeye Brewing is the Hopnoxious Imperial IPA. This beer has an 8.5% ABV and a, brace yourself for it, 180 IBU. This beer is for the serious hopheads. I have only had this beer once and while I am a lover of all things hop, she’s got some bold flavors. The typical IBU scale is 1 to 100. You can see that Sockeye has pushed right past the bar to give their hophead fans a really complex load of hops.
Another IPA that I have tried is the High Lakes Session IPA. I love session IPAs. Sessions give you the same great flavor with a typical higher IBU but a lower ABV. The ABV is usually under 5%, allowing you to continue your quest for great beer. The High Lakes Session IPA is a 4% ABV with an 80 IBU. This beer is full of citrus love and pairs up well with a nice sharp bite.
A couple of non-IPA beers that I have tried in the past are the Hell Diver Pale Ale and the Winterfest. The Hell Diver is a 5.5% ABV and a 75 IBU. This beer has caramel and toffee flavors running throughout along with a pretty amber color. The Winterfest is a seasonal release and usually makes its way into my beer advent calendar. The Winterfest is a 7.25% ABV and a 85 IBU with a flavorful offering of toasted notes combined with toffees and caramels.
Sockeye Brewing has two locations in Boise with locations at 3019 N Cole Road and their newest location at 12542 W Fairview Ave. Both locations are Monday through Sundays with various hours by location.
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