By Sonya Feibert Kuhn

Picture this meet-cute: our main characters have just moved to Boise, each ready to start the next chapter of their lives. They meet at a local brewery during an artist market and connect over a shared love of reading and the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Soon they start a banned book club, then they’re hosting night markets in Meridian and collaborating on a banned-book-themed vending machine. One of our characters opens an indie ​book store​ in Garden City; the other starts a nano brewery with her partner and continues curating ​playful vending machines​. Eventually, the stars align, books meet beer, and a beautiful new space is born.

This is a page from the story of ​Oldspeak Book Beer Bar​ (skimming over much of the grit and grind), the collaboration between Chelsea Major, the woman behind The Lit Room, and Shelley Searle and her partner, Adam Fleck, the creators of ​Alliteration Ales​.

Oldspeak celebrates its one year anniversary this April, and there are plenty of reasons to give a hearty ‘huzzah’ for the team serving up beer, books, and thoughtfully-themed events in Garden City. Here’s a closer look at how they brought The Lit Room and Alliteration Ales together to create Oldspeak, what you can expect when you visit their space, and some of the exciting happenings this spring.

The characters: a trio of tinkerers & dreamers

Chelsea was doing book pop-ups and advocacy work around the Treasure Valley while dreaming of opening a place where you could grab beer, wine, and a book and have conversations. Part of her inspiration was a place she loved to visit: Wild Detectives, a book bar in Dallas created by Paco Vique and Javier García del Moral, who would eventually serve as a resource as Oldspeak got underway.

Chelsea calls her journey “a failure story” because she tried for years to bring her idea to fruition, doing pop-ups while she searched for a more permanent space. “I wasn’t getting a lot of yeses,” she described. When the small building across from Push & Pour became available in Garden City, she opened an indie bookstore called ​The Lit Room​ and got creative with holding events in the small space.

Meanwhile, Adam was dreaming of an English-style pub where beer would be an opportunity for conversation and dialogue — a third space. Shelley knew the pub would feature books alongside beer, and after meeting Chelsea, Shelley knew she was the perfect person to curate them. As Chelsea described of meeting Shelley, “Sometimes you just click with someone and know, ‘I need this person in my corner.’

All three wanted space for community, a place to “pause, slow down, and create special moments,” Chelsea said. “We had a shared vision. What we didn’t have was a space.”

Thanks to the trio’s ingenuity, Shelley’s design savvy, plus community support — including a helpful loan officer, a crowdfunding campaign, and advice from Sarah Keck and Laurie Pearman of Common Ground — Oldspeak came to Garden City.

The setting: literary utopia

It was a bright cold day in April, and inside Oldspeak off of Chinden Boulevard, it was warm and cozy, inviting you to relax in a cushy chair with a pint and a good book. In addition to the mystical dark green wallpaper and shiny beer taps, plentiful books line the walls, because this is, after all, a book lounge meticulously curated by The Lit Room team, including Chelsea and community cultivator and bookstore director Cristina Houston.

Local art adorns the space from artists like ​Lindsay Rae Short​, who celebrated her gallery launch here in February and March. Staff and community members have started at least eight book clubs, including a horror book club called Edgar Allan Hoes and the OG Banned Book Club. Partnering with ​Under the Table Boise​ has led to a beer and dinner pairing and the semi-monthly Table Talk Cookbook Club, which features multiple courses, live demonstrations, and, of course, a cookbook.

On the first Sunday of the month, Chess Club convenes, with live beats courtesy of ​Tropico FM​. “I’m not a chess pro, but it’s low-stakes,” Chelsea reassured me. “Bring a chessboard and meet some friends.” Their slogan is ‘for the less serious but chess-curious folks.’ Oldspeak also makes an excellent remote-friendly work space during the mornings when the bar is quieter. Post up with a French press and wrap up the next draft of your novel (or emails, no pressure). For a more formal version of this, check out their monthly Write Club, a coworking experience for creative entrepreneurs organized by Chelsea.

The libations: beer, bevvies, and more

At Oldspeak, you’ll find a rotating tap of Alliteration Ales, like the impeccably-named She Sells Seashells Stout, Flight of Fancy IPA, and Borealis Baltic Porter. New beers are released about every other month and often include an evening of samples and education from Adam, who worked as a quality control chemist for other breweries before starting Alliteration Ales. There are also rotating beers and wines from local and regional makers, all curated by Shelley.

Meriwether Cider is a constant on tap. They’ll be doing a tap takeover as part of Oldspeak’s anniversary weekend in April. Non-alcoholic options include local favorites Idaho Kombucha and Erth Beverage Company as well as tea and coffee.

Happy Hour is 3-6 pm every day they’re open. Alliteration Ales are $5, and you get $1 off all other drinks, including non-alcoholic beverages.

The plot: find a home for your literary heart

Maybe you checked out Oldspeak’s February launch party for “Mexican Teeth,” local author ​Tomas Baiza’s​ newest book. “It was such a lovely experience of literature being read and people showing up,” Chelsea said. “That’s what it’s about: a space where you can be curious. When we come and gather, this becomes our neighborhood.”

Maybe you showed up to Poetry for Good, an open-mic and fundraiser for a friend and community member affected by ICE. “The bar was packed,” Chelsea said of the event. “There were 35 to 40 people listening to poetry that brought them joy, love, a sense of community and alliance — it was resistance through storytelling and the written word. It was one of those moments when everyone had a drink in their hand, everyone was tuned in, and I thought, ‘This is what I want to do. This is why we’re here.’”

Though varied, every event has a common thread: bring people together for conversation, connection, good books, and beer, and community will take root.

“There’s this desire right now to come back out of the internet and be present,” Chelsea described. “It’s about creating moments of joy and resistance and community, all year.”

Chapter two: celebrating one year of books and beer

Expect more whimsical, community-centered events and parties from Oldspeak, like the Austen-tacious ball they hosted in February celebrating Jane Austen’s 250th birthday in Regency style (Chelsea’s mom, an English teacher, used to read Austen’s works to her, and they remain a favorite).

Coming up, get ready to celebrate at the beer bar with a weekend-long party — Oldspeak turns one this spring and the party is on April 17 to 19.

Oldspeak essentials:

• Oldspeak is open 10AM – 10PM, Wednesday to Sunday. They host other events on Mondays and Tuesdays; check their ​event calendar​ for the full schedule.
• Oldspeak is a 21+ space.
• Happy Hour: 3-6PM every day they’re open. Alliteration Ales are $5; get $1 off all other drinks.
• Annual ​membership​: You can support indie books and indie beers all year long by becoming an Oldspeak member, plus you’ll enjoy sweet upgrades like larger pours, 10% off books, private events, and other perks. Membership is rolling, so sign up any time. ​Purchase online​ or next time you’re in the book bar.
• Save the date for Oldspeak’s One Year Anniversary Weekend, April 17-19!

Thanks for reading!

With love from Boise,

Marissa

This story was written by ​Sonya Feibert Kuhn​, a writer, improviser, and performer in Boise. She’s an avid Treeforter and an enthusiastic patron of and participant in the storytelling and comedy scenes. On sunny days, find her in the foothills hiking with her pup, Chloe, and partner, Mitch.