Moscow Brewing Company back in business

Of the many businesses in Moscow, Moscow Brewing Company has some of the oldest roots in the city's history, with its origins reaching back to the late 1800s.

Once located where the Corner Club now stands, it was brought back to life in 2013 on Almon Street by former owner Lucas Rate.

But as the bar became popular, the demand of balancing family and work made running the brewery increasingly difficult, and thus it closed in 2016.

That's according to the current co-owner of the latest reincarnation of Moscow Brewing Company, located at the same 630 N. Almon St. address.

Andy Severson now runs the brewery with his fellow beer-crazy family members: his sister, Leah Hart, and her husband, Aaron Hart.

The brewery opened in late March and it is a family affair through and through. Leah said all three of them have experience brewing beer in the last decade, whether it's through home brewing or for another brewing company.

And they have taken their own family recipes and ramped them up for a bigger brewing system.

Even the chairs and tables in the brewery were built by Severson's parents with wood from their house.

"It's a true family business in that sense," Severson said.

Severson and Leah grew up in Craigmont, Idaho, while Aaron hails from Nezperce. The Harts attended the University of Idaho, and Severson went to Lewis-Clark State College.

Severson, who is also the manager at lunch restaurant Stax in Moscow, said they are all fans of craft beer and they have wanted to open a brewery for a long time.

"We wanted a small spot that would serve really great local beer," he said.

The location on Almon Street gave them just that, as well as a chance to carry on the Moscow Brewery name and continue Rate's work.

"We wanted the legacy to continue," Leah said.

Moscow has turned into a hub for breweries since Rate started his business. The likes of Rants & Raves, Tapped and Hunga Dunga now offer thirsty residents a multitude of options.

Severson said Moscow Brewing Company tries to be different by being hyper-focused on crafting its own beer, particularly beer made from Northwest ingredients, including malts and hops grown in Idaho.

"This region in general is a great region for beer ingredients," Severson said.

With those ingredients, they have developed eight styles of beer, though its system only allows four on tap at once.

And when customers receive their drink, it'll be poured by someone who knows every detail of that beer.

Leah said all of the owners can have an educated conversation with customers about their beers, their flavors and their ingredients. She said it's the best way for people to find the beers they like.

"We've taken our recipes and featured a special hop so people know what they're tasting," Leah said.

The co-owners hope to continue developing more recipes as well as expanding the brewing system in the future. For now, they hope to spread the word to let more people know that Moscow Brewing Company is back.

So far, the reaction to the re-opening has been positive, they said.

Severson and Leah have seen a strong mix of both the college crowd and the older residents. They've also served many who were regulars at the previous Moscow Brewing Company.

"It's almost been like a family reunion," Leah said.

Anthony Kuipers can be reached at (208) 883-4640, or by email to akuipers@dnews.com.