Congrats to Montana’s newest brewery, Beaverhead Brewing Co., which quietly opened in Dillon this past weekend. Their official grand opening is set for Saturday, June 21, 2014. If you’re near Dillon this weekend you’ll find them at 218 S. Montana Street (corner of S. Montana and Reeder Streets). Their facebook page is at this link and their webpage is here. Regular hours will be Wednesday to Sunday from Noon to 8:00 p.m.
By my count Montana now has 42 operating breweries. I’ve taken Desert Mountain off the list and am still counting Kettlehouse as one.
Beaverhead Brewing Co. won’t be the newest for long. Kalispell Brewing and Lolo Peak Brewing both have beer in the tanks, but have not yet opened. Look for both to open their doors very soon. Great Burn Brewing is installing equipment and won’t be too far behind.
Over in Butte, America, the City is poised to have the single biggest increase in the number of breweries in any given summer. As reported in the Montana Standard in May, Muddy Creek Brewing, Butte Brewing and CopperWild Brewing are expected to open later this summer, joining Quarry Brewing Co. which has been around since 2007.
Meadowlark Brewing Co. in Sidney has opened its coffee house and restaurant, but is not yet pouring its own beers. The brewery is under construction and hoping for a late July or early August opening. Cabinet Mountain Brewing Co. received its tanks last week and is shooting for a late July opening.
One Nation Brewing secured a conditional permit approval from the Missoula City Council recently and will be added to the list once construction begins. Same with Ice Bridge Brewing, also in Missoula.
If you’re keeping count – and we are – that’s 42 operating breweries, 8 more likely to open this year, and two more soon to be added to the list. If I’ve missed any, please let me know.
I hope to announce one more soon – once I receive approval from the owners. Two others are on my radar, but haven’t done enough yet to rate a mention. A third (a nanobrewery) purchased equipment, but isn’t going to happen after all.
Update: According to this story in the Hungry Horse News, Desert Mountain’s equipment has been purchased and will reopen in a yet-to-be-determined location in Columbia Falls as Backslope Brewing. No definitive time frame has been set.
Update No. 2: Kalispell Brewing Co. opened on June 19, becoming Montana’s 43rd operating brewery.
