2010 is here and that’s sure to bring many more beers to try. Some we’ll love and a few might not make it to the end of the glass. But if 2009 was any indication of where craft brewing is headed in Montana (and beyond), we’ve got a lot of reasons to get excited. Grizzly Growler reports that Flathead Lake Brewing Company is reopening, this time as both a brewery and a restaurant. I’m curious to see whether the old favorites are coming back or if a new brewer brings a whole new approach. I’m also curious to see how they’ll fit a restaurant into their already cozy space. I’ve heard rumors of a new brewery coming to Columbia Falls, but have yet to get concrete confirmation.

Brewers in western Montana show no signs of slowing and continue to give us reasons to come back time and time again. Hopefully the new year will bring plausible excuses get back to Butte, Helena, Bozeman, Billings and beyond to experience all Montana’s craft brewers have to offer. Well, I’ll probably need some help with that. So raise a glass, try a new beer and tell us what’s going on out there.