It may be unofficial, but you won’t get any argument about downtown Billings’ designation as the City’s brewery district. Boasting six breweries and two distilleries along a roughly eight block stretch of Montana Avenue and 1st Ave. N., Billings provides a perfect opportunity for a leisurely pub crawl on a sunny summer evening.

It’s so perfect the Billings Chamber of Commerce put together a Billings Brewery Walking Tour Map to guide you along the 1.5 mile route.

Not that you’ll need it, but you can start your tour with an Anger Management Belgian-style Wheat at Angry Hank’s Brewery to put you in a more mellow mood.

From there the walking tour will take you by Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co. and on to Uberbrew, which recently brought home a silver medal from the World Beer Cup for its White Noise American Style Hefeweizen. You’ll then have the chance to take in the locally crafted spirits at Trailhead Spirits or the always creative and award winning lineup at Carter’s Brewing Co., which often includes a variety of farmhouse ales and sours.

Stick to the route and you’ll quickly come to Angry Hank’s second location followed by Himmelberger Brewing. The last stop on the tour, assuming you like a clockwise direction from the original Angry Hanks, will lead you to Montana Brewing Co. a few steps from Skypoint, the center of downtown and the location of many festivals and events. Be sure to stop in for their award winning Custer’s Last Stout.

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A version of this article first appeared in the June/July Issue of Rocky Mountain Brewing News.  If you know of Montana beer stories which need to be told, contact Alan.