Beer is the ultimate beverage for gathering round and catching up on all the news of the day. That’s especially true if you’re a craft brew fan and enjoy discovering something new. I met my friend Dave at the Rhino in Missoula this past Sunday to get the scoop on his recent trip to Greece. With 51 taps, there’s always something new to try. Some you’re sure to like, some you may not, but you won’t go thirsty.  And now that the Rhino is smoke free, it is easier than ever to stop in, try a couple and get caught up.

Blackfoot River Brewing Co. OPA (Organic Pale Ale; Helena, MT):  This is an easy drinking, medium bodied pale ale with a good balance of hop and malt. Good hop aroma with a pleasant, mid range hop bitterness. Light golden/straw colored with a white head. It has a crisp taste that is perfect on a hot summer day and quite good as a session beer. 5.2% abv.

Bear Republic Brewing Co. Hop Rod Rye Ale (Cloverdale, CA): Full bodied, rich and complex, this beer packs in a huge 90+ IBUs into its dark amber/red package. Though the alcohol is 8% abv, you never get a strong alcoholic punch thanks to the tons of hop. The underlying malt prevents the hops from getting too out of hand, but make no mistake, the hops dominate.

Bear Republic Brewing Co. Racer 5 IPA (Cloverdale, CA):  Golden color with a thick white head, it has a very good floral hop aroma. There is a fairly strong hop bitterness and flavor in this medium to full bodied IPA, but the bitterness is never tongue splitting.  It has a surprisingly smooth finish. Alcohol is 7% abv and there’s 75 IBUs in there. I’ve seen this one in 22 oz bottles at the stores with better beer selections around town.

Mendocino Red Tail Ale (breweries in CA and NY):  This light amber colored ale was medium bodied and very smooth and balanced.