Drink, sing and be friendly

COEUR d’ALENE — Beer Choir.

It requires a simple explanation.

“We sing, we drink beer, we connect with one another, and then we do it all over again for an hour-and-a-half,” Max Mendez said.

Mendez, the choir director who taught at North Idaho College, is setting up the microphone at Crown and Thistle Pub in downtown Coeur d'Alene. It’s still early Thursday evening, about 6:30, but already the place is filling up. People are sitting, eating, talking and yes, enjoying a pint or two.

“Much like they would do in pubs in Europe,” Mendez said.

The singing part won’t start for another 30 minutes or so, but when it does, it can be life-changing, Mendez said. 

He means it.

“I think when people sing together they get along,” he said. “This could be a microcosm for our entire community.”

Meagan Fehling is on board.

She had so much fun at the Christmas Beer Choir last month, she had to return.

The singing, the people, the beer, she likes it all.

“Anytime there’s Beer Choir, I’m in,” Fehling said.

Soon, the singing starts, led by Mendez and his guitar. “Daydream Believer,” is one of the first songs. The crowd belts it out, with loud, boisterous voices.

They’re just warming up.

The singing is louder, almost shouting but with joy, as the words to "No Nay Never" by the Irish Rovers fill the pub. Some raise their glasses. 

It looks and sounds like a large group of friends.

Because it is.

“Beer Choir is a national singing movement founded by composer Michael Engelhardt in 2015. If you like beer, and you like singing, you’ll love Beer Choir,” according to the Beer Choir website.

“This isn’t like your traditional choir — if you show up the night of a Beer Choir event, you ARE the choir! No singing experience required, just come and sing, drink, and laugh together!” it goes on.

It’s that simple.

They do it once a month at Crown and Thistle, generally Thursdays, and take summers off.

There are about 30 Beer Choir chapters in the U.S. Mendez started an Inland Northwest chapter that met in Spokane initially before spilling over to Crown and Thistle. COVID shut things down for a while, but the allure of song and drink can't be denied. 

All are welcome. Men and women. Young and old. Liberals and conservatives. Christians and atheists.

“Not matter your political party, your spirituality, when we come in and sing, we’re just singing songs together, we’re sharing an experience,” Mendez said. “If we did more of that, we’d probably get along better outside these doors."

Know this: If you show up, be ready to sing. Not in front of everyone, but from your chair or wherever you happen to be standing.

Beer Choir hymnals with the words to each song are passed out, so when it's time for “Take Me Home, Country Roads” or “Sweet Caroline" there are no excuses for keeping quiet.

“Even if you have a couple beers in you, you’re going to sound great," Mendez said. “There’s no judgment. It’s a matter of sharing songs and finding common bonds.”

Jennifer Drake, Crown and Thistle owner with husband Ben Drake, called Beer Choir “two hours of pure joy.”

When the Drakes heard about Beer Choir, they welcomed it. It appeals to all generations, Jennifer Drake said.

“We loved it so much and knew that in the current state of the world, this is the sort of thing that we need to do,” she said. 

Bridget Hill came out for the first time Thursday with friends George and Julie Ives because she thought drink, dinner and song sounded like a nice evening, especially on a cold winter night.

“This is our audition,” a smiling Hill said. “Hopefully, they’ll invite us back."

George Ives, a colleague of Mendez at NIC, retired 21 years ago.

“I’ve been meaning for 21 years to get here and finally made it,” he said, laughing. 

Julie Ives put it like this:

“I just love to sing and this seemed like a good opportunity."

Jennifer Drake has witnessed Beer Choir change people. There are nights when someone walks in, says they don’t like to sing, but after a few songs, they’re holding up a glass of Guinness and belting out the words louder than anyone.

“It’s truly just been a fun reason to get together and be silly," she said. "I love it."

    Justine Adams talks to customers during Beer Choir night at Crown and Thistle Pub on Thursday.
  

    George and Julie Ives join Bridget Hill, center, for Beer Choir at Crown and Thistle Pub on Thursday.
  

    Max Mendez leads Beer Choir at Crown and Thistle Pub on Thursday.
  

    The Crown and Thistle Pub is full for Beer Choir on Thursday.