Black Friday at Bitter Root Brewing Co.
If you’re in Hamilton, or need a reason to go there, perhaps a keg of Black IPA at Bitter Root Brewing Co. will be enough to turn your Friday from good to great, or maybe from just OK to good – either way you win. From Bitter Root’s newsletter:
We’re tapping a keg of Black IPA that we’ve been hording like that neighbor kid you grew up with that horded Halloween candy. We’ll tap the keg at 4 p.m. on Friday
- Matt Pritchard
Mark your calendar, Garden City Brewfest is set for May 7
The 19th annual Garden City Brewfest is fast approaching.
A week from Saturday, Caras Park in downtown Missoula will be flowing with your favorite brews from around Montana and the country from noon until 8 p.m. More than 55 beers (!) will be on tap this year. $7 gets you a 7-ounce tasting glass with two drink tickets, additional tokens are $1. Big Sky Mudflaps, Kung Fu Kongress and Secret Powers will be providing the music, and food and wine will also be available.
Mark your calendar, it’s going to be sweet.
For a full listing of beers at this year’s event, check out the jump. (more…)
Pining for summer sun, beer
What’s the one topic that’s been on everyone’s mind in Missoula lately? The weather.
This winter has been harsh, mostly in a good way. Tons of snow helped to make the slopes plentiful and extend the season, and hikers should have no problem finding places to slide for months to come.
But all that snow brings lots and lots of gray. The kind that erases all color, from everything. And like any typical spring in western Montana, we’ve seen glimpses of sun, coupled with snow, sleet, rain and wind over the past few weeks.
Needless to say, I’m ready for summer.
I can’t wait to float the river with a Double Haul, or sit in the backyard with a Hefe. Hell, I settle for a Coors Light while playing the University of Montana Golf Course. It doesn’t matter.
It’s about this time the feeling grows. And there’s only one thing to do while we live through Mother Nature’s indifference: wait it out.
- Matt Pritchard
In the news: Question-and-answer with Tamarack Brewing Co.
The Montana Kaimin has a nice interview with Tamarack Brewing Co.’s co-owner and head brewer Craig Koontz that’s worth a read. Koontz talks about the inspiration for the brewery, Old Stache and the direction of Missoula’s craft-beer scene.
Tamarack expanded its Lakeside operation last week by opening a pub/restaurant in Missoula at 231 W. Front St. I’ve been in there twice now, and there’s no question it’s a beautiful place. Both beers that I had, the Hat Trick Hop IPA and the Hemp Hop, were delicious. The only complaint so far is the food and service, but I’ll contribute that to opening-week kinks, which I’m sure will be worked out.
- Matt Pritchard
The Decemberists announce show at Big Sky Brewing Amphitheater on July 22
Helena native and University of Montana graduate Colin Meloy will bring The Decemeberists back to Missoula again, this time at the Big Sky Brewing Amphitheater on Friday, July 22. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. for $30. They can be purchased at Ticketfly.com, Big Sky Brewing and Rockin Rudy’s.
For those keeping score at home, that’s Modest Mouse, Ray LaMontange and The Decemberists thus far scheduled to play at the Big Sky Brewing Ampitheater this summer. Not too shabby.
- Matt Pritchard
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
A couple of weeks ago I went to Arizona to watch some spring training games (go White Sox!). While down there, I stopped by a Total Wine & More store, which has a large selection of wine, liquor and, most important, beer, for sale for some pretty decent prices. The beer aisle is set up with individual bottles and cans for sale, as well as six packs, 12 packs, etc. The store boasts plenty of brews that can’t be found in Montana, in addition to a good selection of Big Sky Brewing Co. beer.
I decided to pick up a few Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, among others. If you’re not familiar with them, Dogfish Head is based in Delaware and was started by Sam Calagione in 1995. It’s known for making creative beer with unusual ingredients, as seen in the show Brew Masters on Discovery Channel.
Anyway, I only recently got the beers back to my house (thanks Toni and Dan) and I opened up one of the 90 Minute IPAs for a test run the other day.
The 90 Minute is an Imperial IPA and comes in at 9 percent alcohol by volume and a whopping 90 IBUs. Dogfish Head describes the beer on the bottle as “featuring a single, constant 90-minute hop addition. It’s balanced by a ridiculous amount of English Two-Row Barley. Then we dry-hop it in every tank.”
It’s an amber-gold color with a fairly strong floral aroma. There are two things that stand out about this beer: One, how smooth and clean it is for its alcohol content; and two, the complexity. The beer is citrusy upfront and yet has a chocolate/espresso flavor on the finish, but not too much of either. Bottom line, I enjoyed it.
If you happen to run across this beer on your travels, don’t pass it up.
- Matt Pritchard
Big Sky Brewing Co. makes list of Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies in U.S.
The Brewers Association just released its list of the Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies in the U.S., and coming in at No. 39 is Missoula’s own Big Sky Brewing Co. The list is based on 2010 beer sales volume and contains only “small and independent craft brewers.” Boston Beer Co., maker of Samuel Adams, is No. 1 on the list, with Sierra Nevada and New Belgium rounding out the top three. Other notables include Deschutes (No. 5), Stone (No. 14) and Rogue (No. 25). Big Sky Brewing is the only Montana brewery to make the cut.
The Brewers Association also complied the Top 50 Brewing Companies in the U.S. by 2010 beer sales volume. In the No. 1 spot is Anheuser-Busch, followed by Miller-Coors and then Pabst.
It’s awesome to see the love for Missoula beer. Congrats, Big Sky.
- Matt Pritchard
Blackfoot River Brewing Co. pint night at Rhino on Thursday
One of my favorite Montana breweries, Helena’s Blackfoot River Brewing Co., is heading to the Rhino in Missoula on Thursday to host a special pint night starting at 4 p.m. Here’s the lowdown from Blackfoot’s newsletter:
Join Blackfoot River Brewing partner Greg Wermers at the Rhino in Missoula, this Thursday, April 14th for a Blackfoot Pint Night from 4pm — close. Greg will have some fun Blackfoot gear to give away and the Rhino will be pouring a very special Imperial IPA in addition to the Singlemalt IPA and Organic Pale Ale. Join us for a night of fun and friends in Missoula.
- Matt Pritchard
Tamarack Brewing Co.’s Missoula pub now open
Tamarack Brewing Co.’s new Missoula pub/restaurant in now open at 231 W. Front St. Hours, tentatively, are from 11 a.m. to around midnight seven days a week. The renovated building hosts a bar downstairs and a bar/restaurant upstairs.
I haven’t made it in yet so there’s not much more I can report, other than Tamarack’s beers are, of course, on tap, along with some other craft-beer selections.
Co-owner Andra Townsley says thing are going great so far after an intentionally quiet opening on Monday.
I don’t think it’ll stay quiet for long.
- Matt Pritchard
Bitter Root Brewing’s Huckleberry Honey Ale heading to store shelves soon
It’s technically spring, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. So while we wait for the weather to warm up, hopefully sometime before July, Bitter Root Brewing has something to tide us over – the 2011 release of Huckleberry Honey Ale in bottles. Here’s a line from the latest newsletter:
Our first batch of Huckleberry Honey Ale is now in bottles! Nearly this entire batch is being delivered to fine grocers and off premise retailers near you, in bottles, next week
Huckleberry Honey Ale – 2011 first bottling run! from Bitter Root Brewing on Vimeo.
Yum.
- Matt Pritchard