A Peek Inside Press & Pony
Boise Fry Company's new bar, Press & Pony, is hosting a grand opening bash tonight, Saturday, June 27, from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. The craft cocktail lounge will offer a buy-one-get-one-half-off deal all night long to celebrate.
Press & Pony is located on the ground floor of the historic Adelmann Building on Capitol Boulevard and Idaho Street. The bar is connected to BFC by a slender hallway and caters to cocktail lovers as well as burger-and-fry fans.
I swung by the super dark lounge on a recent weeknight. A handful of customers clustered around a high-top table, while Manager Jordan Krema polished glassware behind the long bar in a denim button-down and leather suspenders.
Photo via Press & Pony
Photo via Press & Pony
Krema handed me a cocktail menu and proceeded to answer my many questions about Press & Pony's draft tonics. All four options—from the Standard with lavender and allspice to the Triathlon with juiced beets and burdock root—are made in house, kegged and force-carbonated.
The tonics are designed to pair with P&P's four base spirits: Gin, tequila, bourbon and rum. Krema recommended the Standard tonic with gin, for example, and the Triathlon with rum. Spirits are divided into three tiers on the bar shelf: The River is the bottom shelf ($7), The Trail is the middle ($10) and The Mountain is the top ($12).
I opted for a bottom-shelf bourbon (Old Grand-Dad) with the Roots tonic, with blackened pineapple, dandelion root and mace.
In addition to offering a handful of classic craft cocktials—like a Manhattan ($10) made with bourbon, burnt orange, coffee syrup and vermouth—P&P also has a few unique creations, like the smokey Local Foraged ($12) with Old Tom Gin, mezcal, grilled apricot, pinecone syrup and a smoking pinecone floating on top.
For those who prefer to stick with beer, the bar features a selection of mostly local drafts along with a couple of beer cocktails, like the South of the North Fork ($7) with Woodland's Old Boise lager, mezcal, lemon juice and basil.
Press & Pony is now open from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., seven days a week at 622 W. Idaho St. For more info, visit the bar's Facebook page.
