Up and Running

Both of my readers have no doubt noticed this site has been down for at least ten months. Maybe more like a year. As is evident from this post, I finally solved the issue. What took so long? Part laziness, I suppose. It had been a while since I’d added content and then the ole…

KettleHouse Permanently Closes Northside Taproom

KettleHouse Brewing Co. announced today it will permanently close its Northside Taproom beginning May 3. The closure is in response to the Covid-19 global pandemic, according to a press release issued by the company. KettleHouse began operations in its Myrtle Street brewery in 1995 and expanded to the Northside location in 2009. The former fruit…

Governor Closes Taprooms, Relaxes Regulations on Alcohol Sales

Remember when arguing over extending the hours of operation for Montana breweries was the biggest issue facing the industry? Today Governor Bullock issued a Directive closing all taprooms, bars and restaurants throughout the state effective 8:00 p.m. tonight, Friday, March 20. The order remains in effect until 11:59 p.m. on March 27, though also notes…

Has Hell Frozen Over in Helena, Montana?

When are you going to start bottling Blackfoot IPA? It’s a question Blackfoot River Brewing has been asked a million times, though in recent years the subject has shifted to cans. The response never changed. With the exception of a comparatively few caged and corked special release bottles over the years, Blackfoot has never packaged…

Montana Winners of North American Brewers Association Awards

The North American Brewers Association International Beer Awards may be an awkwardly long mouthful to say, and be lesser known than the competition at the Great American Beer Festival, but it’s a big dang deal. Formerly known with the more friendly name North American Beer Awards, the competition is now in its 23rd year and…

Beer Now Conference Shines Spotlight on Great Falls

Great Falls, Montana is getting ready to welcome 100+ beer writers, social media influencers, and other beer industry personnel from across the country for the 2019 Beer Now Conference on June 6-8. Now it its 10th year, the conference has previously taken place in well-known beer destinations like San Diego, CA, Portland, OR, Boulder, CO,…

Bill Introduced to Extend Brewery Taproom Hours

Montanans love their brewery taprooms and with 85 of them now dotting the state, they’ve become ubiquitous, unpretentious community centers where all walks of life gather to unwind in a celebration of small business, daily life, and tasty beverages. One thing Montanans have not loved about their brewery taprooms is the limitations imposed by the…

Winning Beers at the 2018 Montana Brewers Association’s Fall Rendezvous

Thousands of beer fans braved the crisp wind on a chilly afternoon Saturday to enjoy the Montana Brewers Association’s annual Fall Rendezvous in Missoula. The largest festival of its kind featuring only made-in-Montana beers,  the warmly-wrapped patrons were treated to 118 beers in a wide-variety of styles from breweries stretching from Hamilton to Sidney.  (That’s…