Billy Chaddock cleans spent grain out of a mash tun after making a batch of beer at Star Route Brewing on Thursday.
Billy Chaddock cleans spent grain out of a mash tun after making a batch of beer at Star Route Brewing on Thursday.
POCATELLO — Kettle sours were a staple at Billy Chaddock's old Channel Brewing Co. in Stockton, California, which was known in the Central Valley for its creativity.
Chaddock and his brother-in-law, Ryan Sharpe, had home brewed together and went on to partner on opening their dream brewery in 2015. Recipes including mouth-puckering kettle sours, a smoky Scotch ale and Blinded Sailor IPA were a hit with Channel's customers, but the brewery ultimately folded in 2019, unable to recoup large investments in brewing equipment.
Chaddock, 33, who now lives in Pocatello, recently committed himself to building up another small brewpub in need of a lift: Star Route Brewery, 218 N. Main St.
And one of Channel's signature kettle sours is about to make a comeback in the Pocatello market. Sharpe agreed to visit Chaddock's new brewing digs — and to help him whip up a sour batch to be featured at Gate City Brewfest, a March 12 bar crawl hosted by the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce and Historic Downtown Pocatello.
"I'm here to help. I think (Star Route's) location is great. I think the venue is second to none in the downtown area with that giant beer garden," Chaddock said. "(Star Route owner Chris White) keeps his place really, really clean. I'm seeing a lot of momentum."
White also learned the ropes of zymurgy as a home brewer. He used to work as a semiconductor engineer but thought building upon his hobby would make for a more enjoyable career. He opened Star Route around Thanksgiving in 2020, and he's been on a revenue roller-coaster ride ever since then because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After a slow start, things started to pick up for White over the summer. He had ample space and open air in his bustling beer garden. Having lived in Austin, Texas, he introduced a southwestern tradition of setting out dog bowls to encourage patrons to walk their dogs to the bar and stop by the beer garden for a drink and a barbecue sandwich.
As the weather cooled, however, so did business. Patrons have been less excited about dining and drinking indoors during winter, with the omicron variant resulting in another surge of COVID-19 cases. Staff turnover amid a national labor shortage has posed another challenge for White.
"It's been very rough," White said. "We're trying to make it through this mess and hopefully as things get better then things will start getting better for us, too."
Looking ahead, White has reason for optimism. Star Route is planning a Mardi Gras party for Feb. 26, which will feature the music of Rail City Jazz and a specialty beer intended to taste like a king cake — the recipe White concocted includes corn flakes, lactose sugar, pecan and cinnamon flavoring and other unusual ingredients.
White plans to buy a pizza oven to expand his menu.
Furthermore, Star Route has developed a close relationship with the local Gate City Grays baseball team and hosts occasional meet-the-players events. The brewery named an IPA in the team's honor.
White has come to realize he likely caught his biggest break when he brought on Chaddock as a part-time bartender.
Chaddock joined the Air Force at 19 and was stationed in Great Falls, Montana, before returning to Stockton to serve with the Air National Guard.
Following the closure of Channel Brewing, Chaddock and his family moved to Pocatello in 2020 for his job as a service provider for Southeast Idaho with Delta Defense. The Wisconsin-based company sells memberships for the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, which provides firearms training and education and self-defense liability insurance.
The two brewers have found that their skill sets mesh well. Chaddock explained that White, with his background in engineering, is extremely detail oriented. Furthermore, White enjoys making basic ambers and brown ales. Chaddock specializes in IPAs and believes he can help White "branch out and do a more wide variety of styles." His goal is to help put the brewery "on the map."
Star Route began offering Chaddock's first beers on tap in February.
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