A list of Sandpoint’s beer-friendly places
If you love beer and you are planning a trip to Sandpoint Idaho, you are in the right place because this list will cover all your bases when it comes to finding beer. Do you want a beer with a view? We have you covered. Do you want a beer while you’re enjoying the ski mountain? You got it. Do you want beer right from the source? It couldn’t be any fresher. Do you want to check out the local scene? We’ll fill you in on where to go. Here are our top places to find beer in Sandpoint Idaho.
Eichardts Pub Grill & Coffee House
Eichardts Pub Grill & Coffee House
If you are interested in a bit of Paws For Beer history this pub is the location of my very first beer. As I sat at the bar trying to decide what to get my friend suggested: “get a Kokanee” and the rest is history.
There are many other reasons to stop by Eichardts however. Thursday nights are $1 pint nights, where one keg of beer is tapped and poured until it’s out. Every beer from that keg is just one dollar. Another highlight is their food. You will wait a bit for it, but knowing that ahead of time will save you from wasting away from starvation. The wait does afford you more time for enjoying your beer.
Live music is fairly common here, with different bands multiple times a week. Lastly, make sure you head upstairs for some classic pub games, shuffle board, ping pong or challenge yourself to a game of trivial pursuit.
Eichardt’s is located at 212 Cedar Street
MickDuffs Pub
MickDuff’s Brewing Co Brew Pub & Beer Hall
Why have just one location, when you can have two? The Brew Pub is on first avenue in a prime spot with easy access to downtown shopping and the beach. The Brew Pub is a cozy space that will fill up during high peak tourist season and Tuesday Trivia Nights. Food is pub style with a few Idaho twists on the menu. The Gorgonzola Cheese Fries, Vegetarian Pot Stickers, and Croquettes are some of my favorite items on the menu. Sandwiches, burgers, and salads fill out the rest of their menu.
Everyone likes foosball and beer
The Beer Hall is just a few blocks away on Cedar Street. No food is available at the Beer Hall but BYOF is welcomed. A Foosball table, darts and outside yard games will keep you busy while you consume their tasty beers. Live music is also found at this location and occasionally a food truck on weekend nights.
Both locations welcome well-behaved dogs. The Brew Pub is dog-friendly during summer months when the outside seating is set up. Dogs are not allowed inside the pub. The Beer Hall is dog-friendly inside and out.
A few of their staple beers that you must try:
NOHO IIPA 8% ABV / 90 IBU – this is my flavorite!
Strong Hammer IPA 7% ABV / 100 IBU
Lake Paddler Pale Ale 5.6% ABV / 33 IBU
Tipsy Toe head Blonde Ale 4.9% ABV / 14 IBU
Be sure to check out their rotating taps for new beers that are always worth a try. If you love beer, you won’t be disappointed. Tasting flights are also available for anyone who has a hard time choosing their beers, or if you are like me, a bit of a beer tramp, and you like to taste them all!
The Brew Pub’s location is 312 N 1st Ave. The Beer Hall is located at 220 Cedar Street.
Beer and Pizza, a great combo
The Hound
The Hound is where you go for good pizza and beer. There is a wide selection of on tap beers as well as a cooler full of cans and bottles. It is said that they have 60 different selections, which should keep you busy for awhile. Pair up your beer with one of their pizzas and get ready to high-five yourself. Some of my favorite pizzas are the Spicy Thai Chicken, The Crumpler, and The Thor’s Hammer. Oh and the BBQ Chicken! OK, I could go on, because they are all good. And if you are worried about pigging out on pizza be sure to get your greens in first with their Kale Salad! Delivery service is also available.
The Hound is located at 202 N First Ave
Tasty meals at Baxters
Baxters On Cedar
Baxters On Cedar offers 5 rotating taps of beer and a handful of cans and bottles to choose from. Their food offering is on the higher end compared to the others on this list here, however, it always delivers on its promise as well as great service. Baxters is named after the owner’s shelter dog, Baxter, who sadly passed away in 2016. And how can you not love a place named after a shelter dog?
Baxters is location at 109 Cedar Street Sandpoint
The nachos you’ll remember forever
Pucci’s Pub
If you are up on the ski mountain, you will want to make a stop at Pucci’s Pub. Their beer selection is well done but the real reason you are going is their nachos. These nachos are quite likely the best nachos you will ever have. Each chip is covered with delightfulness. I know this is a beer post and I’m rambling on about food, but seriously you should get these nachos. Beers are plentiful here and cover a nice selection of Northwest breweries.
Pucci’s Pub is located at 124 Village Lane Sandpoint (in the Schweitzer Mountain village)
Plenty of beers to satisfy your love for beer
Idaho Pour Authority
Idaho Pour Authority, or IPA as it is sometimes called, is a bottle shop located on Cedar Street. In addition to the bottles available, there are 12 rotating taps of beers that are always fantastic selections, spanning a wide array of styles and flavors. If you get overwhelmed with the choices the staff is helpful in finding you just the right beer.
An array of cheeses, meats, and crackers pair up to satisfy your snacking needs while you’re sipping away on your beer. IPA does close earlier, around 8 pm, allowing you to catch dinner if more than a cheese plate is needed. Although be aware that most restaurants in Sandpoint stop serving around 9 pm, sometimes earlier in the winter months.
Live music is usually a staple on Friday and Saturday nights and they are dog-friendly. If we are there, you may even get to meet Boomer or Jovi.
IPA is located at 203 Cedar Street Sandpoint
View from Trinity’s outside deck
Trinity At City Beach
If you want the best view of the lake while dining, this is your spot. Although Forty One South at the south end of the Long Bridge is also worth a gaze from their vantage point. Trinity affords you the luxury of being within walking distance to downtown, the beach and has a hotel attached. The restaurant/bar is a full-service bar with rotating taps of local northwest beers. The food is tasty and they have the second best nachos in town, after Pucchi’s. Outside seating is at a premium during the summer months, so I recommend heading in early on a Friday afternoon if you want to secure an outside seat to savor the lake views while enjoying your beers.
Trinity is located at 58 Bridge Street Sandpoint
Outside the Tervan
Tervan Tavern
Its exterior may scare you off, but don’t let it. Although more of a locals spot the Tervan, also known as the Tam O’Shanter, is a Sandpoint staple that you should make every effort to stop in. There aren’t any fancy beers here, but that’s kind of the point. Pick yourself up a frosty schooner of your favorite basic beer.
A frosty schooner
I usually get a Rainier Beer in a schooner as the frosty mug classes it up a bit. If you are wondering about the bizarre name, or if I have been mis-spelling the word tavern multiple times, it is in fact called the Tervan. When the sign was being installed many years ago, one side of the sign was accidentally spelled as Tervan and the bar decided to keep it.
The Tervan is located at 411 Cedar Street Sandpoint
Taps galore at Laughing Dog
Laughing Dog Brewery
One of the more successful breweries in Idaho is Laughing Dog Brewery. They are located in Ponderay, just minutes away from Sandpoint. Laughing Dog opened up their new tasting room in early 2017 welcoming both you and your dog. They have a small food offering here along with 12 taps of their beer.
Beers styles span a wide selection but if you like IPAs this is your place. I recommend the following :
Dogzilla, a black IPA with a 6.8% ABV and a 69.3 IBU.
The Devil Dog Imperial IPA with a 10.8% ABV and a 99 IBU.
Alpha Dog Imperial IPA with an 8% ABV and a 126.8 IBU
Rocket Dog Rye IPA 6.7% ABV and a 62.8 IBU
For those of you who don’t care for IPAs check out the 219-er a 4.8% ABV and a 9.4 IBU. This beer pays homage to a local dive bar in Sandpoint the 219. Also, try out the Huckleberry Cream Ale a 5.5% ABV and 8.9 IBU. This beer gives you a taste of the local wild berries that mix nicely with this cream ale.
Laughing Dog Brewery is located at 805 Schweitzer Plaza Drive Ponderay Idaho a short drive from Sandpoint.
Outside seating at Skal
Skål Tap Room
This tap room is paired up with the bicycle shop next door, inspired by bike and beer shops from everyone’s favorite beer town, Bend Oregon. Skål offers up 5 beers on tap as well as a few chilled bottles and cans in the cooler. Food is available with happy hour specials on both food and beer. You can also get a $1 off if you ride your bike to the taproom. Find yourself a spot inside at the bar, or bask in the sun outside in a small fenced in area located in front of the taproom.
Skål is located at 476930 Highway 95 in Ponderay Idaho.
Annual Beer Events In Sandpoint
Sandpoint Beer Fest – early July
The Sandpoint Beer Fest is not one to be missed. Set in the middle of summer with a location overlooking Lake Pend Oreille, you will enjoy beers from local and regional breweries. As of 2017, they had 32+ beers on tap with ticket packages as low as $20 USD including 6 tokens for 6 tastes or 3 full beers.
Fall Fest at Schweitzer Mountain Resort
Fall Fest at Schweitzer Mountain Resort – Labor Day Weekend
2017 is Schweitzer’s 25th annual Fall Fest, offering a goodbye to summer and a hello to fall. Fall Fest is not just a beer festival, however. Live music, chairlift rides to the top of the mountain, a food court, local craft vendors and kid’s activities are abound at this event. Beer tastings range from $15 USD to $40 USD including 3 tokens in addition to the different beer glass sizes based on the package you select. Additional tokens are available for purchase and are valid all weekend. This is a dog-friendly event.
Hoptoberfest at The MickDuffs Beer Hall – Late September
Oktoberfest comes around every year and MickDuffs Brew Hall celebrates by honoring the season with a few fresh hop beers and the release of their annual pumpkin beer, the Mashing Pumpkin Ale. Live music and yard games keep you entertained while you consume your favorite seasonal fall beers.
And with Hoptoberfest that concludes our beer round up for Sandpoint Idaho. Which place or events are on your list to check out?
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