Missoula, Montana
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by Kristen Pope BEER DESTINATIONS illustration by Sam Brewster Missoula, Montana The first commercial brewing operation in the tasting room and grab a growler in Missoula began in 1874 when George to go. The brewery also offers seasonal Gerber started brewing and selling his specialties such as Oktoberfest in the fall, beer. At the time the town’s population Doppelbock in the winter, and its Face beeradvocate.com/place was in the hundreds, but it soon grew. Plant Weizenbock, or Doppel Weizen, for more destinations to visit The University of Montana opened in throughout ski season. Pair lagers with 1893 and, by 1900, over 4,000 people German snacks in the tasting room, Does your town have a burgeoning called Missoula home. Gerber offi- including brats, pretzels and Landjaegers, beer scene you’d like to see profiled cially dubbed his operation Garden City a Bavarian beef jerky. here? Let us know: @BeerAdvocate Brewery, honoring the town’s “Garden Next to open was Big Sky Brewing [4.25, or [email protected]. City” nickname, as it was often warmer bigskybrew.com] in 1995. Known for its crit- than the rest of the state. ter-themed beer names, including Moose As an isolated region, this riverside Drool Brown Ale and Montana Trout Slayer North of the Clark Fork River, lumber town relied on local producers wheat ale, Big Sky focuses on English-style in the Westside neighborhood, for their brewing ingredients, as brewers ales, producing more than 46,000 barrels Jeff Grant and Paul Marshall here still do today. Currently, over half of per year. Peer from the mezzanine into the purchased a historic 1931 the malted grain used by Montana brew- brewhouse, cellar and bottling line, or take recycling center and turned eries is grown in state and Montana now a seat on the grass for one of the brewery’s it into Draught Works [4.28, ranks second in the US in breweries per popular summer concerts, featuring bands draughtworksbrewery.com]. With capita. Missoula, a university town of like Wilco and the Decemberists. exposed wooden beams, bricks 69,000 avid skiers, hikers, fishers, river After a push by owners Tim O’Leary and and a seating area adjacent runners, mountain bikers, and beer drink- Suzy Rizza to legalize on-premise con- to the brewing equipment, ers, offers a healthy sampling. sumption of beer, KettleHouse Brewing Draught Works has an industrial However, when Prohibition began, Company [kettlehouse.com] was the first feel. The brewery’s Scepter Head Garden City Brewery switched over to soda brewery in the state to pour beer in its IPA, brewed with seven different and low-ABV “near-beer.” Normal opera- tasting room in January 2000. As demand hops, took home gold at the tions restarted just days after Prohibition’s grew, KettleHouse was also the first 2014 Great American Beer Fest. repeal under the new name Missoula modern Montana brewery to start can- Brewing Company. A number of other ning. All three of its flagship beers—Cold Around the corner on Spruce breweries popped up over the years, but Smoke Scotch Ale, Double Haul IPA and Street is Summer Sun Garden they eventually all closed, with Great Falls Eddy Out Pale Ale—are available in this and Brew [summersun- Breweries the last to shut down in 1968. portable package, ideal for ski or river trips, gardenandbrew.com]. This The city went almost two decades where glass bottles are often banned. three-pronged shop features without local beer until Bayern Brewing The Garden City also hosts Missoula homebrew supplies, garden- [4.22, bayernbrewery.com] opened its Craft Beer Week late each spring, capped ing equipment and a wide doors in 1987. Located in the Riverfront off with the Garden City Brewfest, which selection of local and regional neighborhood, Bayern’s German-trained typically features over 70 beers. beer as well as specialty and brewers follow the 1516 German purity hard-to-find items such as law Reinheitsgebot by limiting ingredi- Deschutes Not The Stoic Quad, ents to water, barley and hops. Sample [Venues with ratings from New Belgium La Folie Sour Bayern’s Amber Lager, Dragon’s Breath, a BeerAdvocate.com have their Brown Ale and He’Brew Funky Dunkelweizen, or Montana Helles Lager scores listed in brackets.] Jewbelation. 44 BEERADVOCATE.COM Porter to enjoy in the shop or take home. With peanut shells littering Big Sky the floor, The Rhino [3.77] is Brewing a local dive bar legend with the largest beer selection in Draught Works Missoula. Established in 1987, Summer Sun James Bar this one-room tap house Flathead Lake Worden’s doesn’t serve food, but it has over 50 draft beers, ranging from Piraat to Ninkasi. Play Bayern Tamarack The pool or shuffleboard and Brewing The Dram enjoy the lively atmosphere. Rhino Shop KettleHouse Brewing Co. Located about 100 miles south of the flagship brewery in Lakeside, Tamarack Brewing Company Alehouse and Grill [4.16, tamarackbrewing.com] has two levels: a down- stairs sports-bar area and a more upscale bar and restau- rant on the second floor. Most items on Tamarack’s menu have a suggested beer pairing. Try the blackened cod tacos with a pint Great Burn Brewing of Lakeside American Pale Ale. Mouth-watering beer battered garlic bleu fries are available as a side. The heart of Missoula offers a located 100 miles south of or bombers from the likes concentration of popular beer the main brewery in Bigfork. of Deschutes, Alaskan and Missoula’s beer scene contin- bars and breweries. James Enjoy conversation in one of Dogfish Head. Worden’s also ues to grow. Three miles south Bar [jamesbarmontana.com] is the first floor’s private booths, offers kegs to go and a deli of downtown, Great Burn a friendly local hangout that or head upstairs to the lively serving up panini, home- Brewing [greatburnbrewing. opened in 2007 with the goal second floor for trivia. The made chili and The Whoppa, com] is the area’s youngest to elevate the city’s bar food. top floor is the classy Galaxy a ham, salami and provolone brewery. Opened in the fall of You’ll find selections from local Lounge, complete with open- sub with a signature sauce. 2014, this 5-barrel brewhouse breweries like KettleHouse, air balconies and mountain After bar hopping downtown, plays up its fire theme with Big Sky and Bayern on tap and views. Try pairing Rising Sun Worden’s is a must-stop for flagship beers like Great Burn in bottles, as well as other Espresso Porter, a collabora- late night pizza on Fridays and IPA and Smoke Chase Porter, Pacific Northwest beers. Snack tion with Colter Coffee in Saturdays until 2:30 a.m. made with smoked peat malt. on gourmet sliders, shared Kalispell, with the Mandolin Enjoy a pint in the sunny tap- plates such as “rasta rings” burger, an espresso-rubbed A few blocks south, The Dram room or on the deck through of jerk-seasoned fried onions beef patty topped with bacon, Shop [dramshopmt.com], the garage-style door. and larger plates including cheddar, caramelized onions Montana’s first dedicated Montana sirloin, bison meat- and a Porter BBQ sauce. growler-fill station and tap loaf and shepherd’s pie. room, opened in April. In addi- Kristen Pope is a Jackson, Across the street, Missoula’s tion to an extensive bottle Wy.-based freelance writer, Next door is Flathead first grocery store, Worden’s selection, its 35 taps feature editor and copywriter. She is Lake Brewing Company’s Market & Deli [4.14, wordens. beers like Lewis & Clark Prickly also the managing editor of Missoula Pubhouse com], is a great place to pick Pear Pale Ale and New Belgium JHStyle Magazine. [flatheadlakebrewing.com], up local beers from the cooler Cocoa Mole Spiced Chocolate BEERADVOCATE.COM 45.