Remember when arguing over extending the hours of operation for Montana breweries was the biggest issue facing the industry? Today Governor Bullock issued a Directive closing all taprooms, bars and restaurants throughout the state effective 8:00 p.m. tonight, Friday, March 20. The order remains in effect until 11:59 p.m. on March 27, though also notes…
[Note: A version of this article first appeared in the 2017 August/September edition of the Rocky Mountain Brewing News.] Billings, Montana, bills itself as Montana’s Trailhead and standing on the edge of the City’s famed rimrocks give a perfect indication why. Seven mountain ranges dot the view, Pryor, Big Horn, Bull, Snowy, Crazy, Absaroka, and…
[Note: A version of this story first appeared in the 2017 August/September edition of the Rocky Mountain Brewing News.] For a brewery racking up major hardware from some of the most prestigious beer competitions, Überbrew’s best feature might be its comfortable, unassuming, inviting nature that rewards patrons with top-notch beer. That unpretentious nature begins at…
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…
Held each year in June, the annual 2014 North American Beer Awards took place last weekend in conjunction with the Mountain Brewers Beer Fest in Idaho Falls, ID. The competition organized by the North American Brewers Association is conducted as a single blind sampling followed by rank ordering of the entries within a category. It’s…
With the news of yet another brewery hitting town, Missoula’s KECI television station called for some insight into the state of breweries in Montana. I happily obliged with an interview appropriately taking place at Draught Works Brewery. You can watch the interview here (which I am unable to embed): http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/2014-could-be-record-year-for-new-montana-breweries/25330948 With Triple Dog Brewing Co.…
Back on October 30, I posted an article about the rise in Montana breweries, bringing to 46 the number of breweries operating, or under construction. It is a bit hard to believe, but it’s already time to update the list again. When I updated my list less than two months ago (see the side bar…
I wasn’t planning to write about this topic. First, I figured the federal government shutdown would be over by now. Second, a hundred other bloggers and media sources have already covered the basics. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the federal department responsible for approving new beer labels, is shutdown, preventing some…
The Montana Tavern Association’s recent attempts to stifle brewery tap rooms touched a serious nerve with craft beer fans. Comments on this blog and other social media sites ranged from a call-to-arms to the unprintable (which I delete). Yet, commenters raised one common question more than any other: Why would the MTA want to enact…
Bozeman’s busy craft beer scene is about to get a new member. Located directly across the street from the Fieldhouse on MSU’s Campus, Bridger Brewing Company was a proverbial beehive of construction activity when we stopped in last week for a preview tour of the facilities. Co-owners David and Jim and Head Brewer Dan graciously…