Kylie North and Laura Keeler fell in love with Boise during the now-legendary winter of 2017. They went skiing at Bogus Basin the day it shut down operations and later that night went to the Modern Hotel — and decided they could live here.
Within two years, the couple had opened Water Bear Bar, an award-winning cocktail lounge built on achieving the fundamentals of bartending and then breaking them. Through the pandemic, the bar has adapted and thrived, and last month won a $10,000 grant from the Human Rights Campaign for their support of Boise’s LGBTQIA+ community.
I talked with Kylie on today’s episode of City Cast Boise about the grant and much more — including why Water Bear should be on your list of bars to visit during the holiday season.
Many thanks to Kylie for the incredible conversation and this recipe that she’s letting me share. It’s a nod to Kylie and Laura’s “ski bum” sides, and is a great drink to try making at home.
The Telemark Flip
- 1.0 oz. Four Roses Bourbon
- 0.5 oz. Allspice Dram
- 0.5 oz. Rich Demerara Syrup
- 2.0 oz. Stout Beer of Choice (any will do, but they’ve used the Grand Teton Brewing Cozy Sweater in the past)
- 1 Whole Egg
- Lightly decarbonate the beer by stirring it in the shaker tin for 20 seconds. Combine all ingredients, dry shake (without ice) for 5 seconds, then add ice and shake for 10 seconds.
- Double strain into a water/fizz glass.
- Garnish with grated nutmeg.
If you didn’t know what dram was either, it’s just a simple liqueur flavored with allspice. Kylie said you can find it at either downtown liquor stores.
