Every year the Coeur d’Alene Brewing Co. Moscow Alehouse hosts a “Beer Tasting” event for Dads Weekend.
“We tried to keep it local this year since our brewery lost their lease last year in August and now as we speak they’re narrowing in on their new property,” said Wendy Smiley-Johnson, the general manager.
Johnson said she hopes by the end of the year some of the Alehouse favorites will be back.
“We just started carrying different local and Northwest beers,” she said. “We just decided to pull in the locals to make it a local event this year.”
The tasting begins at 6 p.m. today at the Alehouse with six different beers offered under a tent in the parking lot. There will also be a prize raffle.
Katie Dahlinger, assistant director of Student and Young Alumni Programs, said this is the University of Idaho’s fourth year partnering with the Alehouse.
“Overall it’s the same every year. This year it’s different of course because the Alehouse is bringing local brews instead of their own,” Dahlinger said.
More than 175 tickets have been sold for the event and they plan to sell more at the door.
“It’s a time for students who are 21 or older to sort of host their dads or visiting family members so they can get a taste of night life at the University of Idaho,” Dahlinger said. “But also Wendy and her staff offers some education in local breweries and beers available to us here on the Palouse.”
Served at the event will be Old Man River-Oatmeal Stout from Riverport Brewing out of Clarkston and an Over-the-Hop IPA from Paradise Creek Brewery in Pullman.
The Alehouse will also be serving Spire, a dark and dry apple cider, from Fish Brewing Co. in Olympia, Wash.
“From Palouse Falls (Brewing Co.) in Pullman — as much as we love the Crimson (Pride) — we have to go Idaho. We’re going to serve their Idaho AU, which is a gold ale. We’ve got one Odell’s Cutthroat Porter and that’s out of Fort Collins, Colo.,” Johnson said.
The last ale served is from the Grand Teaton Brewing Co. called Sweet Grass Pale Ale out of Victor, Idaho.
“I have a favorite, my favorite is the Palouse Falls,” Johnson said. “They just have an amazing brewery all the time. The nicest people — great brewery out of there.”
As much as they had hoped to have their ales on tap by Dads Weekend, Johnson said they are just happy to bring in some really good locals.
It’s another opportunity for students to spend time with their parents, which is what Dads Weekend is all about, Dahlinger said.
“Wendy has always been so great to work with and we’re glad the university and the community can partner in such a way to offer an event, you know, for traveling dads to campus,” she said.