The 2017 Montana Legislative session has reached the point where people begin to get antsy. The transmittal date, the date by which most bills must be approved in order to send them to the other chamber, looms. It is not so close for full panic mode, but close enough that the process kicks into a…
It is a big Friday for beer in Montana. Big Sky Brewing Co. is throwing a 21st birthday party in Missoula and the Montana Brewers Association is holding its Solstice Rendezvous in Billings. Montana’s beer fans have two great opportunities this Friday, June 17. The Montana Brewers last held a brewfest in Billings three years…
The Montana Brewers Association, Montana Tavern Association, and Montana Restaurant Association announced today they are teaming up to launch a “buy local beer” campaign in support of Montana craft beer and local businesses. The campaign was originally announced during the Montana Brewers Association’s annual conference in October where the campaign was described as a series…
The 2015 Montana Brewers Fall Festival featured more than 150 Montana-made beers from across the state on a perfect October evening in Missoula, MT. Missoula’s local homebrewing club, the Zoo City Zmurgists, judged the beers using the BJCP style guidelines in a blind-judging format. (Disclosure: I participated in the blind-judging round to select the best-of-show…
Two packed days of conference sessions and fun at the Montana Brewers Association’s annual conference wrapped up last night in Missoula, but the capstone of the week takes place this evening, October 16. The Montana Brewers Fall Festival has quickly become the state’s best brewfest (and there are a lot of good ones), always featuring…
The Montana Brewers Association will again hold its annual conference in Missoula this October and the lineup of presentations looks to be the best yet. Held at the downtown Holiday Inn Parkside, the conference takes place October 14 and 15. Registration is open to the public. Panel presentations include sessions on the state of raw…
For years the Montana Brewers Association held a single – and wonderful – all Montana-made beer festival, first in Bozeman, then moving the festivities to Missoula. That was great if you lived nearby, or wanted to take a heck of a road trip, but in a state the size of ours it was not always…
I wish I was kidding, but this is the current state of alcohol related legislation in Montana. When HB 326 and HB 336 died in Committee in February, it may have seemed like the end of significant alcohol related legislation for 2015. But two other bills quietly percolated beneath the surface. House Bill 619, sponsored…
The Montana House of Representatives’ Business and Labor Committee tabled further action on HB 326 and HB 336 this morning, likely spelling the end of both bills during the 2015 Montana Legislative Session. HB 326 would have allowed breweries to directly purchase a retail license (from the open market in most areas), permitting them to…
Rep. Tom Berry, Chair of the Montana House Business and Labor Committee, announced this morning the Committee would take action on House Bill 326 and House Bill 336 tomorrow morning, Wednesday, February 11. The Committee was expected to take action today, but reports indicate Rep. Ryan Lynch requested the delay while amendments are being processed.…