Friday, March 29, 2024
37.0°F

MickDuff's changes scenery, expands dining options amidst uncertain year

by MACK DEIBEL/Contributing writer
| March 31, 2021 1:00 AM

After opening in March of 2006, a lot has changed at MickDuff’s Brewing Co. while a lot remains the same. However, on the eve of MickDuff’s 14th anniversary, the pandemic and shutdown occurred.

What’s changed since? Well, MickDuff’s completed a tasteful remodel of their newly purchased building at 419 N. Second Ave., formerly known as the historic Sandpoint Federal Building. It was quite an undertaking but the building’s new English-Irish Pub feel was executed perfectly.

As of December 2020, the business officially made the move from their original First Avenue location and couldn’t be happier with the decision to have a new building to call home for their Brewpub.

Changes were made due to the pandemic to comply with state and local health district standards, including employees wearing masks, strict sanitizing and limits on capacity. During the shutdown, MickDuff’s expanded their to-go service and launched an online ordering system for food and beer.

“Both locations, our Brewpub and Beer Hall, had limited hours during the shutdown but we are so thankful for all the regulars and visitors who showed up and purchased food and beer to-go,” co-owner Mickey Mahoney said. “To-go food had been tricky for us in the past, we had a small kitchen with limited resources and a bustling in-house customer base, but this allowed us a chance to get better at to-go and we are glad to have it as a staple of our business going forward.”

Their new building features two kitchens, one for dining room service and another for preparation. It also features a Pilot Brewery that is new to the Mahoney’s.

“We sold our 3BBL Pilot Brewery and purchased a 5BBL Pilot Brewery. It’s not quite fully installed and we need a bit more equipment to be brewing, but we are close,” co-owner Duffy Mahoney said. “This will provide a lot more ability to experiment with new brews and keep a fresh seasonal tap list rotating throughout the year.”

Another trend the last year brought on the beer side of the business was kveik — landrace Norweigen yeast that allows new beer flavors in new and old styles. It has a range of fermentation temperatures, with the high-end being nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmer temps allow the beer to fermenter vigorously and quickly, as well as impart unique and tasty new flavors.

MickDuff’s has also reached back to some older styles of IPAs, with the seasonal addition of Secret Stash and Happy Tails n Hoppy Trails. These beers featured a scaled down body and scaled up bitterness, leaving it dry and hoppy the way IPAs used to be.

“Although we didn’t shy too far away from new hop varieties, we did get back to the basics of dry and bitter which is something that has been pushed by the wayside for juicy and fruity less hoppy IPAs the market has been demanding for the last few years,” brewer Mack Deibel said. “Another thing we dived into was the Pastry Stouts category. It’s a fun style where we’re trying to mimic pastries and dessert flavors in a beer glass. Some examples of what we have released and are yet to release include: Peanut Butter Marshmallow, Cake Batter, Snickerdoodle and a Tagalong Girl Scout Cookie style with graham cracker, chocolate and peanut butter. All these flavors come from the use of organic extracts.”

“And while many things have changed, so much has stayed the same,” General Manager Carrera Swarm said. “Our team has gotten stronger, we’ve retained a handful of employees from our 2006 opening and have many team members with more than five years under their belt. The pub is always striving for the absolute best experience with high quality, fresh and local (when available) ingredients, providing our guests with the freshest and tastiest menu. And one thing for sure hasn’t changed, Mickey and Duffy’s commitment to providing our employees, guests and community with an absolutely wonderful place to call your favorite restaurant, brewery and place of work home.”

Help MickDuff’s break-in their new Brewpub and celebrate their 15th year in business by paying them a visit on Second Avenue.