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PACNW HERF - Boise, ID - April 29th, 30th, & May 1st

Blue Dragon

Can't Re-Member
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Jul 18, 2005
Messages
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So it is official. I am not moving, and will be staying in Boise, ID. I put a bunch of effort into fixing up my house, deck and yard so I could sell or rent my house. Now I get to live in the house, which is a bonus! I lost my job Dec. 31st, so I started up my own company, Blue Dragon Enterprises, DBA Cloud Consulting. I had my first customer January 5th, and things seem to be going well. In honor of my re-solidified roots, and my refurbished digs, what a better way to celebrate than to have a bunch of friends over?!?!

I had a HERF here several years ago, and it went over rather well. I think there were about 40 people or so on Saturday. I'm hoping even more cigar friends show up this year! I have started putting together some ideas for events and things to do, and will post them here. In preparation, I am expanding my kegerator to house 2 korny kegs, and will hopefully be getting a beer fridge soon. I also have added two full standing patio heaters, in case it gets chilly or we have some thin skinned people from down south. :thumbs:

I wanted to get this posted so people could start planning early. I will continue to update this post as it evolves more. :cool:

HERF Dates: April 29th, 30th, and May 1st!

Evolving Schedule of Events:
Friday April 29th:
Fish Fry at Blue Dragon's (Shawn has knee replacement surgery on the 6th)
- Shrimp Cocktail
- Blackened Halibut
- Prime Rib Roast
- Potatoes Au Gratin
- Salad

Beer Tasting from several Varietals at some point.
- On Deck: Obsidian Stout, Black Butte Porter, Red Chair Ale, Hop Henge IPA, Rouge Oatmeal Stout, Rouge John John Ale, Stone Epic 10.10.10, Laughing Dog Dog Father Bourbon Stout, Jack Mormon Coffee Porter, (A slew of 22 oz EPIC brews I can't remember), Devastator Ale, Ol' Coaly Night, Alaskan Barley Wine, The Lost Abby Poppy Ale, The Lost Abby Serpent (something), and some others I can't remember off the top of my head.

Poker will probably break out at some point.

Saturday April 30th:
Breakfast at Blue's: (menu is evolving)
- Bloody Marys, Orange Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Coffee
- Beer Pancakes
- Bacon or sausage
- Scrambled eggs

Lunch at Brewforia:
(setting up a "shuttle service" from my house to Brewforia and back for anyone interested)
- We have a room reserved next to Brewforia where we can smoke and eat. We will be bringing a commercial grade smoke eater & fans for air circulation.
- They open at 11, and are expecting us around Noon.
- They have flat bread pizzas for food, usually 6 craft beers on tap, and glasses for any beers they have in their fridges.

Dinner at Blue's:
- Bacon wrapped water chesnuts
- Jalapeno Poppers
- Homemade Chips & Salsa
- BBQ Baked Beans w/ a KICK
- BBQ Chicken
- Bratwurst
- Hamburgers
- Fries

- I am hoping to have a couple honed home brews available on tap:
-- Blue's Young's Double Chocolate Stout Clone
-- Red, Wheat, and Brew (courtesy of Kilted Craftsman)
-- TBD ..

- I have been, and will continue to, rathole some good craft beers in growlers:
-- Laughing Dog's Dogfather Imperial Bourbon Stout
-- Boise Beer Nuts: Oh Coaly Night
-- Stone Brewing's 10.10.10 Vertical Epic

Cigar Poker Tournament!!!
Ante will be $20 worth of cigars (option of 2 or 1 cigar).
Depending on the turnout, the prize will be 60/40%, or 50/30/20%

Sunday May 1st:
- TBD .. still brain storming
Breakfast @ Blue's
- Blue's Bloody Mary
- Swissy's Benedict (tentative)


Other things to do in the Boise area: (I will continue to update this)

The Blue Door .. Nothing like The Green Door! I haven't been there yet, but plan on checking it out soon. If all goes well, tonight. :thumbs:

Bardenay: For those of you who have had the pleasure of trying Bardenay Gin, this is where it is made. You can check out the distillery at the restaurant / bar. The food is top notch, but reasonably priced. And the coctails are pretty tasty! My personal favorite, the Bardenay Bond, especially if you have them substitute your favorite vodka.

Bittercreek Ale House: One of my favorite joints for some good food. Their Clam Chowder is one of the best in town. And their Beer Menu is 8 pages long!! I never realized how thorough their beer menu was until about a month ago. You can order a 22 oz. Alaskan Smoked Porter from 08, or an Ivar the Terrible from 09! :thumbs:

Chandler's Steakhouse: This place is a bit pricey, but the food is excellent. If you eat here for dinner, the sides are family style (meaning huge). IMO they have the best cheesecake I have ever eaten. I would go there just for the cheesecake. And they serve one of the best martinis in town, the 10 Minute Martini.

The Boise Fry Company: When people think of Idaho they usually think of potatoes or BSU. Most Idaho potatoes are shipped out of state, and most are consumed by McDonalds. But this place not only has an amazing burger, they specialize in different types of french fries. You can choose from about 5 different potatoes and 5 different types of cuts: curley, thick, thin, homestyle .. And you can get Idaho potato french fries; you can even get an order of Curly Idaho Purple Fries!! But the burger is one of the best in town. And if you like to mix it up a bit, check out their selection of homemade mayonnaise, aoli, and catchup, of which there are several flavored versions as well.

Possible places to stay:
The Idahostel: Just ran across this place; looks like it could be pretty fun for the adventurous. :thumbs:

The Modern: This is probably the hippest place to crash. The rooms are pretty cool, somewhat retro-modern fusion. I've had several friends stay there and really loved the rooms and service. In the heart of downtown, and an elevator ride from Chandler's restaurant.

SpringHill Suites Boise: This is probably the closest hotel to my house and a straight shot to Brewforia.

Hotel US Suites Boise: This hotel is probably a stone's throw from the one above.

The Anniversary Inn: If you are looking for something a little different and fun, this place has Theme rooms. BBS, you and the wifely unit should look into The Mysteries of Egypt room!! I used to have a friend that could get discounts at this hotel .. I'll have to look into that.

Confirmed Attendees:
Blue Dragon - Cory
Kilted Craftsman - Jeremy
SteveHawk - Steve
IdahoGN - Shawn
James G. (from Denver)
Alex (from Denver)
Smelly Sell - Justin


Tentative Attendees:
NapaSmokes - Josh
TheHatGuy - Dennis (according to Steve)
Moby - Dave
DePasta - Dan
Swissy - Jim Sorry buddy. I'll be up your way soon.
LucasBuck - Criag
BlindedByScience - Tom
NNCL - David

Hope to see you there!!! The more the merrier!
 
If we're not in the throngs of moving into a new house, I'd love to attend.

No way to know....they are moving quickly on the house.....sheet rock going in now.

I'll keep you guys posted - B.B.S.
 
hmmm.... that weekend may actually work. lemme see what I can shake out.

(and title should be APRIL 29th, 30th and MAY 1st, right? :laugh:)
 
hmmm.... that weekend may actually work. lemme see what I can shake out.

(and title should be APRIL 29th, 30th and MAY 1st, right? :laugh:)
LMAO!! heh heh .. um .. er .. yea, that's it! :blush:
 
well, I hate to do this... but I'm out for that weekend. I had promised my brother a shrimping trip over a weekend, he just had to pick the weekend. That weekend is the only one he can get off from the Div of Forestry... but it's family and I did promise him. Otherwise it was looking good to go.

:(
 
I'm hoping to make my way over for this, though unfortunately Scott can't join me. :(

I'll be trying to recruit other travel companions!
 
well, I hate to do this... but I'm out for that weekend. I had promised my brother a shrimping trip over a weekend, he just had to pick the weekend. That weekend is the only one he can get off from the Div of Forestry... but it's family and I did promise him. Otherwise it was looking good to go.

:(
No worries buddy. Family first! We'll miss you.
 
well, I hate to do this... but I'm out for that weekend. I had promised my brother a shrimping trip over a weekend, he just had to pick the weekend. That weekend is the only one he can get off from the Div of Forestry... but it's family and I did promise him. Otherwise it was looking good to go.

:(
No worries buddy. Family first! We'll miss you.

yeah, but dammit... I had a kitchen pass, need a 'boys trip' still, and was looking forward to it. I tried to talk him into the next weekend, but it's that one or none.
 
Got official approval from she who really wears the pants, so I'm officially IN! Cory, save me a spot on a couch!

Should I bring a keg of homebrew?
 
Got official approval from she who really wears the pants, so I'm officially IN! Cory, save me a spot on a couch!

Should I bring a keg of homebrew?
Rock on!! Keg, growlers, whatever man! .. actually, before you head down I'd love it if you could grab me a couple 6ers of some MT brew that I can't really find around here. :thumbs:

But if you do bring a keg, I have accouterments for multiple connectivity options. Just LMK what the size is, and if it is Korny, then Pin or Ball lock. And we'll get you set up. I have 2 different CO2 tanks & gauges, so we could set you up on one. :cool:
 
still no way I can make it... but how about if I send some smoked salmon in my place?
 
Got official approval from she who really wears the pants, so I'm officially IN! Cory, save me a spot on a couch!

Should I bring a keg of homebrew?
Rock on!! Keg, growlers, whatever man! .. actually, before you head down I'd love it if you could grab me a couple 6ers of some MT brew that I can't really find around here. :thumbs:

But if you do bring a keg, I have accouterments for multiple connectivity options. Just LMK what the size is, and if it is Korny, then Pin or Ball lock. And we'll get you set up. I have 2 different CO2 tanks & gauges, so we could set you up on one. :cool:

Ball lock corny. Any requests on style?

ETA - I'm brewing a saison tomorrow, so I'll probably just bring that. Either that or an ESB that I'm brewing tonight. :D
 
Should I bring a keg of homebrew?
Rock on!! Keg, growlers, whatever man! .. actually, before you head down I'd love it if you could grab me a couple 6ers of some MT brew that I can't really find around here. :thumbs:

But if you do bring a keg, I have accouterments for multiple connectivity options. Just LMK what the size is, and if it is Korny, then Pin or Ball lock. And we'll get you set up. I have 2 different CO2 tanks & gauges, so we could set you up on one. :cool:

Ball lock corny. Any requests on style?

ETA - I'm brewing a saison tomorrow, so I'll probably just bring that. Either that or an ESB that I'm brewing tonight. :D
So I had to look up what a "Saison" style beer was. Sounds perfect! I have a Young's Double Chocolate Clone that came out really really close to the mark! If I had a nitrous option, it would be pretty much exact. Very tasty! And a "domestic" type clone for all the PBR/MGD/Bud drinkers. So a Saison would work really well. I am headed out to Brewer's Haven this afternoon to get some parts for my second Kegerator for Homebrew. A tap handle is sort of important .. hahaaa.. But it will be ready for your Ball Lock. :thumbs:
 
bump ... modified the menu after doing a test run on the beer battered finger steaks. They were pretty damn tasty, but just too labor intensive if I want to be chillin with my friends and smoking a cigar.

Also, I spoke with The Sheriff and there is a good chance he will be attending as well! Round of applause for all those travelling to attend!! We'll have a blast!
 
I was trying to come up with some appetizers for the HERF ... Something wrapped in bacon is always good ...

20080402-baconbra.jpg
 
Man if I knew those appetizers were on the menu I would have worked something out. Sounds like a great herf with some real fine gents too! Enjoy guys burn a few for me.
 
I would love to but with work and travel further west than where you are, I would have to pass. :( The line up is quite impressive! :thumbs: Here's to a very successful event!.

Best,

Joe
 
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