POCATELLO -- While Todd Davis' passion for brewing beer may not have started completely out of necessity, he does admit that he was tired of paying so much for a six pack.
It was 10 years ago, and Davis, currently a professor of chemistry at Idaho State University, was living in Lubbock, Texas, a dry town at that time. One had to travel just outside the city limits where the handful of liquor stores were controlled by a just a few.
'It was $13 for a six pack,' Davis said.
But that still didn't prompt him to pull the trigger on brewing his own beer. Instead , it was his wife that got the ball rolling.
'I came home one Valentine's Day and she said, 'Look in the bedroom,'' Davis said. 'I went in there and there was all this brewing equipment. She said she was tired of hearing me complain. It was the best gift she ever gave me except for my children.'
A Michigan native, Davis says he most likes to brew beers using rye, a popular grain for brewing in that region, and one that he says isn't used as much in the Northwest. Among his best beers he boasts is his rye ale, he said.
In addition to filling his desire for a relatively costeffective brew in Lubbock, and his own personal tastes now that he's a more refined brewer, Davis says he simply enjoys the science behind it all.
'I'm a chemist. It's really science in cooking,' he said about brewing. 'I like to think about the science behind it all. But it's also pretty relaxing.'
In fact, it really has become as much a hobby as it is self serving. Davis said he probably brews more for others these days than for himself. To that end, he's brewed up a batch of an American Hefeweizen for anyone who want to try it on Saturday.
That's when Old Town Pocatello is hosting its second annual Gate City Brewfest, a beer stroll through several Old Town and Warehouse District bars and restaurants featuring more than 50 locally brewed beers and ales.
The cost to join in on Brewfest is $25 per person and that includes a ticket that allows you try each and everyone of the brews available. It starts at noon on Saturday and runs through 6 p.m.
Stephanie Palagi, executive director of Old Town Pocatello Inc., said that those who didn't get their tickets in advance have three choices on the day of the event --Hooligans, Portneuf Valley Brewing or The Depot Sports Bar & Grill will all be selling tickets.
She said the number of locations and brewers participating has really stacked up this year.
'We have 14 locations and 23 brewers,' she said. 'That doesn't include all the home brewers who are participating.'
Palagi said there are plenty of tickets still available.
Nearly 500 people participated in the first Gate City Brewfest last year and far more are expected to join in the fun on Saturday. For more information on the Gate City Brewfest, go to the Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce's website at www.pocatelloidaho.com.
To try Davis' brew specifically , you'll have to go out to Kinport Junction, where he says several other home brewers will also be sharing their creations.
Davis says a he'll also have a couple of youngsters hanging out with him looking to provide some salty snacks.
'My boys are four and six years old and they will be selling necklaces with pretzels on them for donations,' Davis said. 'The money is being raised for the Idaho Food Bank.'
Todd Davis tests the head of the Hefeweizen beer he prepared for the Gate City Brewfest on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. in Pocatello. The event will feature than 50 beers from 20 brewers, plus local home brewers.
