Salmon River Brewery {Updated}

I rang in the New Year’s in McCall, Idaho. While, Idaho doesn’t have an ocean, it is slowly growing on me. It helps that they have amazing champagne snow for skiing and snowshoeing, the fact that Bullet loved it there, and they have three amazing breweries for being such a small town with no traffic lights. While I was there, we checked out all three breweries.

Watching the Ducks win and drinking good beer.

Salmon River Brewery is located in the heart of downtown (in the old train station). We watched the Oregon Ducks team win their playoff game there. Made some friends with fellow Duck fans (apparently they are hard to find in Boise State territory). And enjoyed some awesome smoked salmon tacos with the following beer:

So many good choices!

• Udaho Gold – This golden ale is light in color and easy to drink.
• Cherry Christmas – I love fruit beers and this was no exception! Great beer, dark and not too sweet. Definitely tied for my favorite beer here.
• F.D. Pale – I still need to figure out what “P.F.D” stands for. Good beer, easy to drink.  {Update:  P.F.D. stands for “personal floatation device.”  Should have been able to figure that out on my own since I used to be a lifeguard.}
• One Eyed Pumpkin People Eater – My other favorite from Salmon River Brewery. This pumpkin ale was perfect for the holidays.
• Peach Cream Ale (on Nitro) – I love fruit beers, but this one definitely lacked some punch. (Get it?)
• Pixie Dust – Not going to lie, tried this beer because of the name. Surprised me how good it actually was.

The beer line up.

• The Nutty AmBro – Classic amber beer. Delicious and not too crazy.
• Buzz Buzz Coffee Porter – I wonder if Buzz Buzz is a local coffee? I went to Foglifter Coffee and loved it. Maybe another collaboration is in order?  {Update:  SRB use Boise’s original, Dawson Taylor Coffee fresh bean for their fresh toddy coffee that is then blended with the English Porter ala Buzz Buzz Coffee Porter.}
• Black Happy American Black Ale – Another good beer from SRB!
• Belgium Red – Apparently this was an un-named beer when we arrived, but Facebook just notified me that the new name is “River Bed Red” – a name I can dig. Just like the beer.
• Chunder Chocolate Oatmeal Stout – What’s a “Chunder”? Doesn’t really matter, it was a good beer.  {Update:  “Chunder” is mountain slang for a gnarly spot in a hole on a river, and/or the cut up, bumpy fun powder on the ski hill.  How did I not know that?}
• Extra Special Brundage – Another great beer.

Cool Christmas Salmon Decoration at the Brewery

Have you ever been to McCall, Idaho? Or Salmon River Brewery? What did you think? What is your favorite beer? 

[Just a heads up, I received a gift card from the team at Salmon River Brewery, but I would definitely go back and watch the Ducks play there again!]

P.S.  Joe corrected me, there are in fact, TWO traffic lights in McCall.