Rumor: Brew fest to take place in old Macy’s building Feb. 12 in Missoula
Still searching for more details on this, but it looks like there will be a new brew fest in Missoula taking place during the opening weekend of the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival on Saturday, Feb. 12. The event is to take place in the old Macy’s building, which was recently purchased by Virginia-based developer Octagon Partners.
An indoor brew fest in February in Missoula? Whoa.
Stay tuned for updates.
- Matt Pritchard
Flathead Lake Brewing Company is coming to Missoula
Looks like plans are in the works for an FLBC taproom in downtown Missoula. Here’s a comment left on GG from Mr. Johnston.
GG. Your source is correct. We will be at Higgins Ally. We will be doing some renovations and with any luck be open by October. We are still in the planning stages and once everything is finalized, we will get the word out. We are teaming up with a local restaurant which will be moving from their present location in down town Missoula. We are looking forward to the addition to our home in Woods Bay.
Prost,
GG
Flathead Lake Brewing Company coming to a Missoula near you?
Do you love stopping off at Flathead Lake Brewing Company on your way to and from Glacier National Park? I do. In fact, I love stopping in there every chance I get. I’m a huge fan of the Imperial IPA, as most of you know.
Well, the good news, so it seems, is that Flathead Lake Brewing Company seems to be in talks with a new Missoula business to open a tap room at or above Higgins Alley. I have no details on the deal yet, but the rumor seems pretty solid at this point. I’m not at liberty to reveal my sources on this, but suffice it to say they have never let me down.
Also, an E-mail information request sent to FLBC was not returned.
I’ll have more information as soon as it is available. Meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled for other Montana breweries opening tap rooms in and around Missoula. Seems to be the hottest spot for beer drinkers in the Treasure State right now.
Prost,
GG
Update – New Craft Brewery Coming to Downtown Missoula
Still no official word on even if a brewery is going to take up residence in the old Artcraft building, but the rumor mill keeps swirling. I’ve heard back from at least six breweries, many of which have some interest in the Missoula brewing scene, and no one could confirm anything about the mystery brewery.
However, some information came my way several months ago about a Hellgate Brewing Company. I’d heard that a couple with ties to the Bitterroot had plans to open a brewery in Missoula, but news from that died out a while back.
According to several friends who know of the people who registered Hellgate Brewing Company, It seems that it might be the very brewery seeking variances to be able to brew in the Artcraft building. Again, nothing is substantiated here, and if you know more about this, leave a note. Missoula is dying to know more about this new addition to our stellar brewing scene.
As always, check back for updates. I’ll post the whole story when we know more about the mystery brewery and the Artcraft building.
Have a great Saturday.
Prost,
GG
New craft brewery coming to downtown Missoula
At least that’s what a dozen or so rumors swirling around about variances and permits having to do with the Artcraft Building in downtown Missoula are saying. I have absolutely no confirmation on this, so it’s all conjecture at this point. However, since I’ve been asked by no less than twenty people about the alleged brewery in the last few days, I figured I’d put it out there in case one of you knows more about this.
Here is what I do know. According to several area economists, the city can sustain another brewery at least, if not more. With another brewery or two slated for the Bitterroot Valley in the coming year, I personally feel the area will have achieved some sort of capacity. However, you cannot put a limit on the local thirst for good craft beer.
Craft breweries, even small startups, tend to grow rapidly. While the number of employees might be minimal at first, demand often increases the number of employees fairly quickly. And depending on whether the new brewery in Missoula would be a production brewery with a distribution plan, it could potentially employee quite a few people in the downtown area.
Whether this is in the early stages of a lot of red tape that could potentially keep a brewery from opening downtown or farther along, I do not know. I will keep my ears open for more information as it comes along.
Prost,
GG
Flathead Lake Brewing Co. update
Here’s the latest announcement from the folks at Flathead Lake Brewing Co. Looks to be a good spring on the Flathead.
We at FLBC wanted to keep people informed that we are looking at a March opening (we are having many inquires). We will keep you posted for the official opening date and time. For now we can say that our former amazing brewer Tim is officially back and getting ready to start brewing again. We are currently getting our mouth watering foods ready to serve. We will be serving items such as pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, Brats slowly boiled in Tim’s rich beer served on sesame buns, chili and much more. The new amazing group of people working here at FLBC look forward to serving you soon. So, come down and meet us and the new “official” owner. He has always been a part of the FLBC since it opened six years ago. He was just a silent partner then, but has a lot to say now. All comments are positive, and all are about how we are going to make the brewery into a place this wonderful community will be proud of.
Cheers!
The new FLBC family
Prost,
GG
What do beer and whiskey have in common?
Turns out quite a bit more than just, “Could I have a shot with my beer?”
The 4th Annual Great American Distillers Festival is happening right now in Portland, Oregon, and one of the things you can do at this festival is attend a tasting of three modern American craft whiskeys and the beers that inspired them.
In another lifetime long ago, I worked as a bar tender and manager at McMenamin’s Thompson Public House and Boone’s Treasury. Now, McMenamin’s is one of the modern American distillers that made a whiskey based on their beer.
When they introduced Hogshead, way back when, we all thought it was a joke. Who would make whiskey when you’re so good at beer? And too be sure, the first few batches were better used for removing paint from old battleships.
But things improved and Hogshead was aged longer and started to taste better. I remember ordering one several years later with a Hammerhead, one of the company’s flagship beers. I was surprised by how good the whiskey was instead of just noting that it was drinkable.
And years later even, one of my favorite breweries, Rogue Brewing Co., produced a series of distilled drinks. They started with the staple whites, rum, vodka, gin, and later produced a whiskey based on their Dead Guy Ale. I also remember ordering one and being surprised at the taste and definite taste similarities to Dead Guy Ale.
All this to say that I’m really happy to see our craft brewers doing well and branching out into something as exciting as craft distilling.
I know there are those of you who think that breweries should stick to what they do best, but the similarities in producing beer and liquor make it easy for some breweries to add the stiff stuff to their product base. I see nothing wrong with it, and if learning to enjoy craft beer for all its nuance and historical meaning has any carryover to distilled beverages, well, that’s good too.
Prost,
GG
New brewery in Stevensville?
Rumors been a swirlin’ lately ’bout a new brewery in Stevensville Mt. Just curious if anyone out there knows if this is true? I think the Bitterroot is big enough for another brewery or two. Bring it on.
Prost,
GG