In 2015, longtime Boise restaurateur Dave Krick first announced he was launching a new craft beer brewery named “Works Progress Administration (WPA).” Shortly thereafter, opportunity of a different sort knocked at Krick’s door and he turned his attention to opening a third restaurant, Diablo & Sons, in downtown Boise, which relegated the brewery to the shelf—until now.
“It turns out that WPA has been conditioning in the cask for five years,” said Krick, referring to a term for a traditional brewing fermentation process. “It’s been waiting for the right time, and with our community in crisis from the coronavirus pandemic, that time is now.”
Today’s version of WPA will be a different than originally anticipated. WPA will launch as a producer of community cause beers, collaborating with established local breweries to craft special beers that raise funds for causes that are vital to our community. WPA’s longer term goal is to build a physical brewing facility.
WPA’s first community beer will benefit City of Good, a recently formed nonprofit that provides meals free of charge to vulnerable populations in the community, while re-employing restaurant service workers to prepare those meals. The City of Good beer, a pale ale, was created as a collaboration with Lost Grove Brewing, which brewed the beer, and Payette Brewing, which provided packaging for the beer. It is now available in six-pack cans at both Boise Co-op locations, as well as onsite at Lost Grove Brewing and Payette Brewing. All proceeds from sales will be donated to the nonprofit.
WPA will release a second, yet-to-be-announced benefit beer in July.
WPA was named in the spirit of a long-ago public works program, Works Progress Administration, established in the Great Depression to rebuild the economy by re-engaging our country’s greatest resource—its people.
WPA’s business model will emphasize public benefit, powering this commitment through active community service, a business model that minimizes environmental impact, and by crafting beers with uncommon character that are based on traditional styles and influenced by local flavor.
“That’s our intent – to launch this brewery with collaboration benefit beers and work toward establishing a full brewery here in Boise,” said Krick. “We’re just going about it creatively because we believe the community needs WPA now.”
Krick’s other partners in the re-launched WPA venture include Jami Adams, his partner in Bittercreek Alehouse, Red Feather Lounge, and Diablo restaurants; David Roberts, longtime Bittercreek employee and Alefort co-founder; Jake Black, founder of Lost Grove Brewing; and Russ Stoddard, founder and president of Oliver Russell.