Snake River Brewing Toasts To 25 Years
The brewpub serves up suds, savory meals and social camaraderie.
Snake River Brewing — Wyoming’s first and oldest brewpub — celebrated a milestone by marking its 25-year anniversary of brewing award-winning, handcrafted beers, ales, porters and the like with an across-the-board rebranding of its logo, can art, tap handles and merchandise.
The brewery also recently won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival for its Dark Horse Lager which won in the International Style Dark Lager category. This accolade adds to SRB’s stash of nearly annual medals, including back-to-back “Small Brewery of the Year” awards at the Great American Beer Fest back in the brewery’s infancy in 2000 and 2001.
When Snake River Brewery opened an eatery and brewing space in Jackson Hole in 1994, the hope was to attract both locals and visitors alike. That mission has been accomplished and then some, with the brewery establishing itself as a staple on the dining scene within the community that it serves — from beer aficionados to families seeking a fun and lively venue in which to nourish them and their offspring.
Located in a concrete, steel and glass building just a short stroll from Town Square, the interior of the Brewpub (as it is fondly known) features both a mammoth copper mash tun and a boil kettle smack dab in the center of the 286-seat restaurant. Both brewing essentials are visible from every angle in the large, bright two-story venue, putting diners and imbibers right in the middle of the brewing experience. A lot of brewhouses have glass separating the patrons from the brewing and its apparatus, but here when it boils and steams you can hear it and see it; there’s a lot of hooting and hollering!
The Brewpub is considered by many to be a central part of the community and has lovingly been referred to as Jackson’s “living room.”
Known for creating beers from all across the board — from its core beers to its perennials — the SRB brewers are given freedom to experiment, too. The two main categories of beers available are lagers and ales and the brewers don’t skimp on ingredients, occasionally utilizing a small barrel program with wine, whiskey and one time, tequila.
The beers’ names are creative and legendary. There’s the recent “I Pecan’t Feel My Face,” a robust porter aged in a whiskey barrel filled with 100 pounds of pecans and 55 pounds of Belgian candy sugar. The usual suspects on tap (and available in cans one can purchase onsite as well as in local supermarkets and liquor stores) have monikers such as “Zonker Stout,” “Jenny Lake Lager” and “Pako’s IPA,” a favorite golden-hued ale with an explosive hop aroma.
Traveler Tip: Try the beer sampler
Of course, Snake River Brewery goes beyond the beer by offering an extensive cocktail list that features wine, margaritas, the house Bloody Mary and its own “Vodka Tap Water” which consists of vodka and Snake River seltzer sparkling hop water served with a wedge of fresh grapefruit.
The Brewpub is also a favorite destination for the hungry due to its locally sourced, fresh-made food — including gluten-free menu items — which runs the gamut from sandwiches to wood-fired pizzas, salads and steak to pastas and beyond with a kids’ menu to match. All breads and desserts are made in-house with 100% organic flour.
Mead Ranch of Jackson Hole comes every day to pick up the spent grain from the brewing process and brings it back to the ranch to feed the cattle, which in turn are made into the meat the Brewpub uses in its steaks, burgers and other sandwiches. The yummy circle of life.
Some of the favorites on the menu include the Scratch Pretzel (baked fresh onsite daily and served with sharp white cheddar queso), the 6-ounce Big Hole Burger, fish and chips and signature SRB buffalo chicken wings. A special daily $10 lunch menu is available to choose from, too.
In addition to the downstairs dining room, there is an upstairs area more suitable for families with a foosball table and video games. An outside deck provides additional seating in the summer with a bang-on view of Snow King Mountain. Kids of all ages will enjoy playing cornhole on the large grassy area just outside the entrance to the brewery.
Fourteen flats screen TVs are placed throughout the restaurant, which makes it an ideal spot for viewing various seasonal sporting events.
When you’re planning your trip to Jackson Hole, putting Snake River Brewery on your list of places to enjoy the best brews in town and sate your appetite after a day of outdoor activities is a true must-do.
For more information and to check out the menu of the latest beers on tap as well as food, visit snakeriverbrewing.com.
