EXCUSE
EXCUSE --
EXCUSE -- ESPECIALLY ON A MONDAY -- BUT TODAY IS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY.
KIND OF.
IT'S NATIONAL DRINK
BEER DAY!
SO IF YOU'RE NOT
ALREADY CELEBRATING --
CONSIDER TRYING A NEW
SPOT -- SOMETHING
LOCAL.
LIKE THIS NAMPA
BREWERY -- BRIAN
HOLMES TOOK US THERE
IN 2017 BACK WHEN IT
WAS
THE ONLY LOCALLY-
OWNED BREWERY IN
CANYON COUNTY.
IT'S ANOTHER TUESDAY
EVENING AT THE
CRESCENT BREWERY...
"HEY, BILL HOW'S YOUR
WIFE, CINDY? I HEAR IT'S
COMPLICATED.">
...AND THE JOKES ARE
FLOWING JUST AS FAST...
"HAMMER AGAIN?"
AS THE FULL-FLAVORED
BEER
"DEFINITELY NOT
BECAUSE I'M RICH...NO IT'S
BECAUSE HE'S RICH."
LOCAL COMEDIANS...CALL
THE CRESCENT...
...NAMPA'S NUCLEUS FOR
OPEN MIC NIGHT...
"IT'S EITHER HIPPY OR
WHITE TRASH AND THAT'S
JUST A MATTER OF DIET
AND POLITICS."
A CULTURE CULTIVATED...
...BY OWNER JERRY
FERGUSON...AND HIS WIFE
JODI...
8 YEARS AGO JODI AND
JERRY DIDN'T JUST SET
OUT TO BUILD A
BREWERY...
"I GOT TITLED KILT AND
IRISH RED I CAN FILL
WITH."
BUT A PUBLIC HOUSE
WHERE PEOPLE FEEL AT
HOME..
"YOU COME IN A
STRANGER, YOU LEAVE A
FRIEND AND WE LIKE
THAT."
BUT BEFORE THERE WERE
PUNCHLINES...
THERE WAS THE PALE ALE
THE TILTED KILT TO BE
SPECIFIC...AN ORIGINAL
RECIPE USING LOCAL
HOPS...THAT JERRY CAME
UP WITH NEARLY A
DECADE AGO...AND THE
BATCH HE IS BREWING
THIS DAY.
IN 2009 THE FORMER
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
CO-FOUNDED THE
CRESCENT WITH AN
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER... "JUST A COUPLE OF GEEKS WORKING OUT..HOW TO
MAKE BEER."
HE IS NOW THE ONLY ONE
LEFT...AND TWO TO THREE
TIMES A WEEK JERRY WILL
SPEND ALL DAY HOVERING
OVER THESE SINGLE WALL
KETTLES.
"BEER IS LIKE A
WOMAN...IT'S READY
WHEN IT WANTS TO BE,
PERIOD."
THIS BATCH, ONE OF HIS
14
14 FLAVORS, WILL BE READY IN ABOUT 2 WEEKS AND WILL FILL 4, 32
GALLON BARRELS.
IT'S ONE OF THE SMALLER
OPERATIONS...CONSIDERIN
G A CRAFT INDUSTRY THAT
HAS SEEN COLOSSAL
GROWTH
"WHEN I OPENED THIS
BREWERY THERE WERE 18
IN THE WHOLE STATE
NOW THERE'S 54."
BUT THE CRESCENT
REMAINS THE ONLY
LOCALLY OWNED
BREWERY IN CANYON
COUNTY.
JERRY'S INTEREST IN BEER
GOES BACK A LONG WAY...
"WELL SURE...YOU
KNOW,..EVERYONE HAS AN
INTEREST IN BEER...
FROM THE TIME THEY'RE
ABOUT 15 ON...HAHAHA
...WHEN THEY'RE NOT
SUPPOSED TO."
INTEREST IN BEER...
FROM THE TIME THEY'RE
ABOUT 15 ON...HAHAHA
...WHEN THEY'RE NOT
SUPPOSED TO."
HE ALSO HAS AN INTEREST
IN HISTORY...
WAY BACK IN 1907 JACOB
LOCKMAN, A GERMAN
IMMIGRANT, STARTED A
BREWERY IN NAMPA...AND
NAMED IT THE CRESCENT...
IT BREWED BEER TILL
PROHIBITION, CHANGED
ITS NAME IN THE
30S...THEN CLOSED IN
1950.
JERRY, A NATIVE OF
NAMPA...REMEMBERS
WHEN THE BUILDING WAS
DEMOLISHED...
"I WAS ACTUALLY ON MY
BICYCLE, I WATCHED THEM
TEAR IT DOWN IN '66."
AS A 5 YEAR-OLD KID HE
THOUGHT IT WAS COOL
TO WATCH...
"TODAY I JUST THINK IT
WAS AN ABSOLUTE
CRIME."
SO JERRY REVIVED THE
NAME.
"THE FACT THAT THE
CRESCENT BREWERY WAS
PART OF OUR HISTORY I
WANTED TO KEEP IT
GOING."
IN FACT, HE'S TURNED HIS
TASTING ROOM INTO A
MAKESHIFT MUSEUM.
TAPE2
"HAHA, NOW THAT WAS
WHEN DAYS WERE GOOD,
YOU KNOW?"
TODAY THE ORIGINAL
BOTTLING PLANT
REMAINS IN PLACE...BUT A
MERE 7 BLOCKS AWAYS
AND NEARLY TUCKED
UNDER THE 16TH AVENUE
BRIDGE...IN A BUILDING
THAT USED TO BE A
SLAUGHTERHOUSE FOR
CHICKENS...COMEDIANS
ARE KILLING IT ON THE
CRESCENT'S SMALL
STAGE...
"WE ARE NOW ON OUR
SECOND JUICING
MACHINE BECAUSE
APPARENTLY YOU CAN'T
JUICE BACON...HAHA."
"YEAH, IT MAKES THE REST
OF THE WEEK GO BETTER."
A DREAM JOB FOR
JERRY...WHO IS
OVERJOYED TO OVERSEE
THE CRESCENT CONTINUE..
"WELL, LET'S JUST SAY IF
YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU
DO YOU NEVER WORK A
DAY IN YOUR LIFE...AND
THAT'S TRUE."
BRIAN HOLMES...
"I'M MONTANA THANK
YOU VERY MUCH."
IDAHO'S NEWSCHANNEL
7.
TODAY... THERE ARE 83
BREWERIES IN THE GEM
STATE.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO
"IDAHO BREWERS
UNITED."
AND SINCE THIS STORY
AIRED BACK IN 2017 --
FOUR MORE LOCALLY-
OWNED BREWERIES HAVE
OPENED IN CANYON
COUNTY.
IF YOU DO PLAN ON
CELEBRATING TONIGHT --