Pocatello zoo to host fundraiser featuring beer, hot irons and animals
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POCATELLO — Always searching for new and exciting fundraiser ideas, Zoo Idaho in Pocatello has scheduled its first annual Poke Fest.
Zoo staff invites all to see the animals in their winter habitats while enjoying a beer from Off The Rails Brewing.
“It’s a way to get people out to the zoo when we’re closed,” Zoo Manager Peter Pruett told EastIdahoNews.com. “Our animals look completely different in the winter. And, it’s just a fun way to be outside — it’s a unique event.”
The Poke Fest will be held Saturday, Jan 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Zoo Idaho Pocatello — 2900 South 2nd Avenue.
A Bavarian tradition which has planted roots in the midwestern United States, poking a beer is when a hot iron is plunged into the beer, warming and caramelizing it.
Pruett, who is originally from Duluth, Minnesota, has attended many beer poke festivals.
“It caramelizes some of the sugars in the beer and changes the flavor ever so slightly,” he said.
Doing events like this in a city known for its beer scene, he added, is “absolutely” a major benefit.
“We’re in Pocatello, Idaho and we’ve got three lovely brewers right here,”
As Pruett explained, Zoo Idaho Pocatello does events regularly with Jim Dandy Brewing, Portneuf Valley Brewing and others like the Poke Fest with Off The Rails.
Tickets to the event, which will include purchasable food from Palate Bistro and live music, are $25 each and are available here