Flathead Lake Brewing Company near Bigfork is one of many Montana brewery success stories. A visit to the east shore of Flathead Lake isn’t complete without a stop at FLBC’s brewery in Woods Bay, south of Bigfork. Their taproom in Missoula continues to be very popular and demand for their brews keeps going up. Now,…
The Brewers Association released today it’s annual list of the top 50 craft brewing companies based on 2011 beer sales volumes. Montana’s largest brewery, Big Sky Brewing Co., made the list at No. 37, two spots higher than in 2010. Thirty six of the top 50 are small and independent craft brewing companies which the…
A beer blogger, an industry rep and a U.S. Senator walk into a brewery. Stop me if you’ve heard this one . . . . Such was the scene last Wednesday evening at Draught Works Brewery, Missoula’s newest brewery and one of it’s hottest social spots. Rather than being a joke, however, it was the…
Every once in a while a regional sized brewery takes note of Montana’s love of craft beer and decides to get in on the fun. This week, Ninkasi Brewing Company began distribution of bottled and kegged products with a splash across Montana. Ninkasi Brewing Co. in Eugene, OR, started brewing in 2006 and expanded to…
Montana, we have a problem. Back in January we highlighted an issue mentioned in a Missoulian article that featured a recent expansion at Kettlehouse Brewing Company’s northside location. Local brewery expansions are always worth celebrating, but this one came with a troubling quirk. Montana law allows breweries to sell pints for on-premise consumption within a…
Montana craft beer fans have no doubt heard by now that Missoula is the featured destination for Zane Lamprey’s “Drinking Made Easy” television show set to air on HDNet this Wednesday, February 29 at 6:00 p.m. local time (8:00 Eastern, as they say). The show is an entertaining one and it’s fun to see many…
Missoula’s Sustainable Business Council kicked off their 10th Anniversary celebration Wednesday night with a gathering of local brewers, industry representatives and craft beer fans for a discussion with Cheri Chastain, Sustainability Coordinator for Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. The fun continues tonight, Thursday, February 23 at 6:00 p.m. in room 106 of the Gallagher Business Building…
Montana Beer Finder launched this past January as a single website designed to connect craft beer fans in Montana with great craft beer. Using “beer spotters” throughout the state, the site aims to provide current and relevant information on where to find unique bottles, special taps, and great deals on craft beer in restaurants, bars,…
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. …
This morning’s Missoulian newspaper has a story about Kettlehouse Brewing Co.’s expansion, but also contains a couple of nuggets detailing the problems with Montana’s brewery laws. On Monday, Kettlehouse swapped out two 40 barrel fermentation and bright tanks for two 90 barrel ones to increase capacity. With the switch, Kettlehouse now has the capacity to…