Daft Badger do care

Left to right, Keith Bertram, Jake Capaul and Darrell Dlouhy in front of Coeur d'Alene's new Daft Badger brewpub.

 

Daft Badger might sound like a centuries-old British pub, but it’s actually the newest brewery in North Idaho.

Owner Darrell Dlouhy says the name – inspired by the Internet-sensation honey badger video (“honey badger don’t care”) – is apt for his Coeur d’Alene brewpub, which opens Tuesday at 11 a.m.

“We’re going to be relentless, like a badger, but we’re not taking ourselves too seriously,” the longtime painting contractor and community activist says. “That’s the daft part.”

Four beers from a shiny, new 10-barrel JV Northwest system are on the opening menu, with a fifth on the way.

Badgers Bounty IPA (7.6 percent alcohol by volume, 109 International Bitterness Units) is fairly dry with lots of citrus in the middle and a piney, spicy finish from a combination of Simcoe, Centennial and Willamette.

A companion pale ale (6, 119) is sort of a dialed-down version of the same recipe, with a less complex but more pointed hop punch. The mellow Red Letter Amber (6, 47), starring Centennial and Amarillo, is soft, lightly sweet and nutty, with a dry finish.

A strong porter (7.6, 21), with the requisite chocolate and roasted coffee notes, will be joined soon by an imperial stout dubbed Josiah’s Revenge (8.8, 11), after a pet badger in Teddy Roosevelt’s White House that turned testy as it aged. Despite the ominous-sounding name, it’s approachable for a big beer, rich and smooth with cherry and dark fruit flavors.

Along with the main offerings, which will evolve, small-batch specialty brews also are planned from a half-barrel pilot system. “We want to do some crazy stuff,” Dlouhy says.

While there’s certainly capacity to distribute beyond the pub, Dlouhy doesn’t have any concrete plans for that yet.  “I’m not sure we’re going to beat the streets,” he says.

The brewing is handled by Dlouhy’s son-in-law, Jake Capaul, along with Keith Bertram. Rounding out the team are Dlouhy’s wife, Val Samuel, and chef CJ Fox-Lopp, who has worked at Tony’s and The Cellar.

His menu features creative takes on pub food, utilizing an in-house smoker. Appetizers include a Daft Platter of cheeses, smoked jalapeno cheddar sausage, salami, almonds and fruit; salmon crostini accented with fennel; smoked bacon in a stout-spiked huckleberry chipotle glaze; and pulled pork nachos.

There also are three salads – arugula, garbanzo bean and mixed greens – and four sandwiches, with pulled pork, smoked turkey, sausage and a BLT. Wine and cider will be available along with the beer.

It’s all served up in an inviting, comfortable atmosphere. Dlouhy has refashioned his former painting operation at 1710 N. 2nd (two blocks due west of Slate Creek Brewing) into a stylish space with brick inside and out, fir tops for the bar and the high tables throughout, large black-and-white photo prints of regional outdoor scenes and a heated patio out front under a covered pergola.

“There’s a group of successful people my age who are just looking for someplace to hang out,” says Dlouhy, 60. “All the places downtown are more lively.”

It’s also the only Coeur d’Alene brewery with a kitchen. “Beer and food make for a great experience,” Dlouhy says.

Daft Badger will be open six days a week, Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.