Want to get your picture on a tap handle? Not only that, but have 300 gallons of your own beer brewed up by an award winning brewery? All you need to do is win the Zoo City Zymurgist’s annual homebrew competition and this, too, can be yours.

Each year, the Missoula area homebrew club puts on a competition in conjunction with Big Sky Brewing.  Big Sky picks a style of beer, members brew up their own interpretation, and submit it for judging by Big Sky’s experts.  The winner gets to help Big Sky brew up a commercial size batch.  The beer then goes on tap at the brewery and proceeds from the sale of growlers benefits the club and a local charity. This year’s beneficiary is the Watson Children’s Shelter.

This year’s style was an India Brown Ale (see, the “IBA” in the title wasn’t a mistake) and the winning homebrewer was Mike Hoffer with his “Whole Lot Of Mischief IBA”.  You can read about the competition here and see pictures and a write up of Mike’s brewing adventure here.

I sampled some at the brewery this Saturday and really enjoyed it. It has the hop profile of a very good IPA colliding with the malt base of a brown ale.  I’d swear I tasted some subtle roasted malt undertones, too. I have no idea what’s in there, but I can tell you it will be gone fast.  Pick up a growler ($10) at the Brewery before it is gone.