A couple of months ago Montana Senator Max Baucus, along with Idaho Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho, started the Bipartisan Small Brewers Caucus in the United States Senate to highlight the importance of America’s small brewers, their relationship with American agricultural products and their contributions to economic growth.

Montana has an important part in that.  Montana’s 30 breweries have Montana ranked No. 2 in the U.S. for the number of breweries per capita.  More importantly, Montana’s barely growers produce high quality barely, much of which is malted at the Malteurop plant in Great Falls.  As Senator Baucus points out, nearly half of the 5.6 million pounds of barley used by Montana’s breweries is grown right here in Montana.

This week, Senator Baucus held the first meeting of the Small Brewers Caucus where beer from Missoula’s Big Sky Brewing Co. was “showcased” as the Caucus met with members from the National Barley Growers Association and the Brewers Association.  I took “showcased” as a senatorial code word for sharing a couple of six packs around the room.  It’d be a crying shame to only show them the label.  Plus, it’s Congress. Great craft beer might be the perfect antidote to partisanship.

Head here to read the full letter Senator Baucus sent to the Montana Grain Growers and the Montana Brewers Association.