Local brewery provides one-of-a-kind experience
By Jillian Chandler | Photo by Brandy Morley
Amidst the COVID shutdown, Kirk Chaffin and Jeanine Raymond were preparing to unveil their new Coeur d’Alene business, Trails End Brewery, opening the doors to the community in April of 2020. “We celebrated our one-year anniversary this year. We felt the feeling of triumph, appreciation to the community and so much pride in our team for sticking with us through it!” smiles Jeanine. “The community just embraced us as soon as we opened the doors and haven’t stopped!”
Kirk, a local business owner and avid homebrewer for many years, paired with Jeanine’s love for the outdoors, resulted in many of their adventures ending with a Google search of “breweries near me.” A love of quality beer combined with a passion for the outdoors began to emerge into a business idea. “We wanted to create a place where everyone can go after an adventure to share their stories over great craft beer, great craft food, and friends to share it with!” shares Kirk.
The 10 BBL Brewery focuses on flavor and brewing technique for their craft brews. With 12 years of professional brewing experience, Head Brewer Danny Borgstrom brews beers to the German Purity Standard. Top-selling craft brews at Trails End include their “Creek Hoppin’ IPA” Westcoast IPA, “Scenic By-Way” Juicy IPA and their “Alpine Haze” Hazy IPA. The brewery also offers a wide variety of hard-to-find beers and historical styles such as Altbier, Kellerbier, Porter, Stout, Pilsner, Hefeweizen, and rotating seasonal beers. In addition, Danny keeps up on the demand of the very popular house-made Root Beer and Ginger Ale. (If you’re looking for some great beer to serve at your next party, kegs are available, and you can choose from 10 styles of Trails End craft beer, along with root beer and ginger ale.)
To complement the cold brews, guests will find specialty craft pizzas, utilizing their Woodstone Brick Oven, like the Benedict Pizza with house-made chipotle hollandaise sauce with an easy egg, or their classic Trails End Pizza with three meats and veggies. The dough is made daily with a “secret” ingredient that gives the crust a flavorful finish. The kitchen, spearheaded by Chef Vance Allen, makes its own original sauces, such as the TE Red Sauce, Avocado Chipotle Crème and Garlic Parmesan Ranch. Their pulled pork is slow cooked using a Traeger. Patrons can’t get enough of the popular house-made Beer Cheese, made with Trails End’s “Right as Rain” Golden Ale, served with homemade Pretzel Bites and Pulled Pork Nachos.
As you dine and imbibe, be sure to take in the “outdoor” experience. Each handmade table features a map section of the Pacific Northwest with corresponding breweries—the owners’ favorites. “We love watching people share their hiking or outdoor adventures of that area and the breweries they visited after!” says Jeanine. Guests can also enjoy the outdoor-themed shows such as hiking and extreme backpacking, allowing them “to feel the outdoors and strike up new conversations of adventures.”
Upstairs you’ll find 10 more taps, shuffleboard and darts. This space is available for private events or overflow on busy nights. Trails End is family friendly, offering a small “kids korner” while the parents enjoy a pint after dinner.
Kirk and Jeanine have been overwhelmed with gratitude with how their vision has been embraced by the community. “Sometimes we will stand upstairs and just listen to the laughter fill the building. It is emotional to hear such happiness in an environment you created,” shares Jeanine. The pair knows they couldn’t do what they do without their incredible team. From the front of the house to the back, they all play an important part in the Trails End vibe. They are more than employees—they are family.
The business owners find being a part of the brewery community truly rewarding and filled with camaraderie. They pour at fundraising events together, frequent each other’s breweries, collaborate with one another. “Craft beer enthusiasts are a different people,” affirms Jeanine.
As Trail End Brewery continues to grow, keep an eye out for their brews at your favorite places around town, such as Midtown Bluebird, Northwest Taps, Bier Haus, Blue Shell, Bardenay and at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Gift Shop.
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Trails End Brewery will be kicking off the fall season with an Oktoberfest party on October 9, which will feature live music, German brats, pretzels, beer steins, and the release of their Festbier under the tent. To stay up to date on future events, such as beer release parties, food and beer pairings, and community events, follow them on social media.
Trails End Brewery
356 West Bosanko Avenue
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83815
208.292.4013