John Fremont and his family of five (husband, wife, kid, kid, rescued dog) are on an adventure. Last month they set out from Bend, OR, to spend a year traveling around the United States in an RV. They’ve rented their house, said their temporary goodbyes, and set out for destinations mostly unknown. They’re excited, just a little cramped, and a touch worried about grizzlies in Yellowstone. And they have a traveling growler.
You see, John and his wife Amelia love craft beer, which automatically makes them friends of mine. And it’s not just any growler. It’s a double walled, vacuum sealed, food grade, stainless steel, 64 oz. hydroflask. With a lifetime warranty. Cool.
The growler is on an adventure, too. It’s even got its own page, The Traveling Growler, dedicated to the craft beer part of their travels. In John and Amelia’s words:
This is a vast and beautiful country we live in. It has a rich history and many regional and local cultures and customs. In our travels, we are exploring the country by traveling its highways, meeting its people and drinking its beer. The Traveling Growler covers our efforts to visit communities throughout the United States, and sample locally made beer. We are visiting local microbreweries and filling our HydroFlask Growler* with whatever is recommended or sounds good, and writing about our experiences.
Based on their travel direction, I recommended John stop in at Blackfoot River Brewing Co. in Helena. While there, John discovered what many of us in Montana sometimes take for granted. Most of Montana’s brewery tap rooms are lively, social places with good to great beer and a friendly atmosphere. Some, like Blacksmith Brewing Co. in Stevensville become a bit of a community center. John found the same at Bozeman Brewing Co. No doubt it’s partly a function of Montana restrictive tap room laws which limit the serving amount and the hours of operation which end at 8:00 p.m. These limitations have an unintended way of creating laid back, unpretentious spots to drink great beer. It’s easy to stop by, have a quick pint or two, visit with friends and go on about your day.
No doubt it’s also due to the social aspects inherent in enjoying good craft beer. Want to get a good read on a community? In Montana, head to a tap room. You’re likely to encounter everyone from ranchers and construction workers to college students, politicians, doctors, writers, and tourists. It will be interesting to see if the same is true of the breweries and tap rooms John and Amelia encounter in their year-long trip around the U.S. My guess is it’s true far beyond Montana. Want to find out? Follow The Traveling Growler with A Family Far Afield.
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* Void where prohibited. Ahem . . . South Dakota.
