If you live in Helena and love good beer and wine then you already know this. If you don’t live there, but find yourself in Helena for a visit, head over to Topper’s Cellar for one of the best retail selections of wine and beer anywhere in Montana, and many places beyond.  When I lived in Helena many years ago, Topper’s was a gas station and convenience store with an unusually fantastic beer and wine selection. Topper’s later moved into its own building on Helena Ave. within sight of the city’s malfunction junction of Montana Ave and Lyndale Ave and is now dedicated solely to wine and beer.

The architecture of the building is curious, but interesting – not quite fitting the historic architecture of the city, but not really all that out of place either. Inside, the beer is separated into various regions or countries and sorting through it all will take you a while. But that’s a good thing, right? The wine selection is equally good and Topper himself if always willing to educate, recommend and talk wine and beer.