The Brewers Association list 48 Montana breweries on their site, 30 of which are listed as members of their organization.

Might we suggest you visit a tap room or two this week for a spontaneous celebration?

There are around 20 prizes up for grabs including a new Ariens lawn mower, Maker’s Mark bourbon basket, a night’s stay in the executive suite at Hawthorn Suites, Kindle Fire HD, various gift certificates, Kettlehouse merchandise, a priceless one day guided fly-fishing trip with Curtis and more.

The raffle will take place at the Northside Kettlehouse on Wednesday, Feb. 6, from 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $10 each or three for $20 and you don’t have to be in the house to win. However, if you do decide to make it down 50 cents from every beer sold that night will help Tammy fight cancer.

- Matt Pritchard

Big Sky Brewing Company has teamed with Brennan’s Wave to help raise money for needed repairs. The Missoula based brewery will donate $1 for every case equivalent of Big Sky Brewing Company Beer sold within its home county starting in February.

Regarding the continued support of the local company, Brennan’s Wave, Board President, Trent Baker said, “Big Sky was a primary partner in raising funds for building the wave, and we’re excited to continue this relationship.”

The charitable beer maker has developed a reputation for giving in Missoula. The brewery gave $99,539.51 in 2012 and is committed to surpassing this mark in 2013. The Missoula based company’s self-hosted concert series raised $25,000 in 2011 and $35,000 in 2012. The continued support for the feature at the heart of downtown Missoula is no surprise. Co-founder Bjorn Nabozney stated: “The brewery’s original concert series generated over $60,000 for the original wave construction, so we feel it’s our role to make sure it’s maintained.” Nabozney continued, “we thought this would be a fun way to give. Missoula has always supported us and we’ve always supported Missoula.”

With the features’ construction occurring in 2006, the Clark Fork River has taken its toll upon the diversion structure. Hydrologist and Board Member, Paul Callahan stated, “any fixed structure in a river will require occasional maintenance. We are pleased that our original installation stood up well through seven runoff events but it now needs some help. We are working with the engineers on the project to help ensure that this round of maintenance stabilizes the structure for many years to come.”

The wave has become an iconic structure for Missoula. Brennan’s Wave has provided various users with a free and healthy recreational amenity and has hosted a number of wonderful events, including the Olympic Trials for the U.S. Freestyle Kayak Team. It has been featured in countless advertisements and articles including a feature in Outside Magazine naming Missoula one of the best river towns in America.

Big Sky Brewing Company’s entire beer line up is available for a matching contribution. The brewery will donate $1 for every case equivalent (in terms of volume) of beer sold within Missoula County. Nabozney stated: “All Big Sky beer sold anywhere within county boundaries, cans, bottles, kegs, and $1 per Moose Drool growler sale in our taproom will receive a matching contribution from us.” Big Sky Beer brands available include Moose Drool, Scape Goat, Trout Slayer, Big Sky IPA, Cowboy Coffee Porter, and a new flavor that will be release the last week February. Nabozney stated: “We’re excited about this latest beer, as it’s a new one for us. We think it will be well received by Missoula and help add to our giving.”

Donations to the Brennan’s Wave repair can be mailed to c/o Trent Baker, 201 W. Main, Ste. 201, Missoula, MT 59802; made in person at any First Interstate Bank location or online at http://www.facebook.com/BrennansWave. Baker stated: “Brennan’s wave has become a big part of the Missoula community and now we need Missoula’s support to make sure its repaired for the upcoming summer.”

- Matt Pritchard

- Matt Pritchard

I finally managed to work my way over to Philipsburg to check out the relatively new Philipsburg Brewing Co. and I’m a little ashamed it took so long. The brewery, which opened Aug. 25 and is located at 100 W. Broadway, reminds me of an old soda fountain shop. The only difference is that delicious beer pours from the tap handles rather than carbonated sugar.

The brewery is small, to be sure. There are only a few tables set up and a few seats by the front window in addition to the bar. The brewing equipment is the first thing that’s noticeable as you walk in and there’s hardly any separation between the tanks and the taproom. The building used to be an old bank and the vault in back is where all the merchandise is located. One of the coolest (literally) features of the entire brewery is a copper strip located on the top of the bar (pictured below). The strip is cooled from below so when a beer is placed on top it remains cold.

Earlier this week there were six beers on tap:

• Razzu Raspberry Wheat; 5 IBU, 5.2 percent ABV
• Haybag Hefeweizen; 2.5 IBU, 5.5 percent ABV
• Corners Porter; 40 IBU, 6.4 percent ABV
• Gonk Amber; 30 IBU, 5.5 percent ABV
• Tramway Rye PA; 65 IBU, 6.6 percent ABV
• Bad Finger Stout; 60 IBU 9.9 percent ABV

I had a taste of everything except for the Raspberry Wheat. My favorites were the Bad Finger Stout, which is dark and rich yet easy to drink, especially considering the whopping 9.9 percent ABV. I also liked the Rye PA. It’s a nice pale ale with just a hint of sourness.

The brewery is open daily from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.

The copper strip that sits across the bar to keep beer chilled.

Rye PA and Bad Finger Stout

Corners Porter

Haybag Hefeweizen

Brewing equipment near entrance

Tap handles

Bar view

- Matt Pritchard

On tap this year are more than 30 beers, a wine bar, food and music. Festivities are poised to get under way on Friday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m and last until 10. Cost of entry is $10 for a 7-ounce glass and two tokens. Extra beers are the usual $1.

This should be a welcome divergence from the florescent lights of years past. Although I guess we can only hope it won’t be too frigid that night.

- Matt Pritchard

Breweries on board this year include:

• Blackfoot River Brewing
• Lewis and Clark Brewery
• Big Sky Brewing
• Bayern Brewing
• Bitterroot Brewing
• Harvest Moon
• Front Brewery
• Bowser Brewery
• Ninkasi
• Goose Island

The ball, which is an annual fundraiser for the Race to the Sky sled dog race, will be held at the Helena Civic Center ballroom from 6-11:30 p.m., with the music set to start at 8:30. Tickets are available in advance for $18 at Bert and Ernie’s, Topper’s Cellar, The Overland Express, Staggering Ox and both Man Stores, all in Helena, or they can be purchased at the door for $20.

- Matt Pritchard

For years now, the burgeoning craft beer industry and the powerful Montana Tavern Association have been butting heads over a growing turf war. The Tavern Association wants to keep intact the licenses that many bar and restaurant owners have paid so much for. Breweries in the state would like to loosen up the laws so they can either sell more than the 48 ounce limit, serve beer for on-premise consumption past 8 p.m. and/or brew more than 10,000 barrels while still being able to sell beer and drink beer in taprooms.

There are other issues, of course, but it would be wrong to fully place the blame on either side. For example, if you paid $500,000 for a liquor license (viewed as an asset by owners) would you want a neighboring brewery to be able to sell as much beer as they want without having to pay for said liquor license? Probably not. On the other hand, if you own a brewery and you’re on the cusp of either growing or stagnating (meaning not being able to grow because of existing laws in place) what do you do? If you’re not growing as a business you’re dying, at least that’s what my business professors say.

I don’t believe any brewery, with the possible exception of Big Sky Brewing or maybe Bayern Brewing, thought that the industry would grow as rapidly as it has in just the past few years. There are more than 30 breweries in the state with more being added it seems like every month, up from around 20 just a few years ago. Plus, a recent study has shown some of the economic benefits of the craft beer industry in Montana. It seems like there should be better laws in place to cultivate that growth even further.

This leads into the 2013 Montana Legislature, where many bills addressing the state’s current liquor law situation will be introduced and where many will fail. Fellow beer blog GrowlerFills.com has some excellent coverage thus far that I absolutely urge you to read if you haven’t already. One bill the blog profiled, which was just recently shelved, was a proposal by Rep. Jeff Welborn, R-Dillon, to place a limit on how much beer can be sold in a taproom (10 percent of annual production). Needless to say, that would put a dent in taproom sales for many breweries.

Other bills include one by Ellie Boldman Hill, D-Missoula, that would allow breweries to purchase a cabaret license (beer/wine) or full liquor license making it possible for them to sell more than the 48 ounce limit and extend their hours. This, from what I’ve heard, is something Kettlehouse Brewing would like to see so they can implement it in the Myrtle Street taproom. You might be asking yourself about places such as Lone Peak Brewing or Tamarack Brewing, which have full liquor licenses. Apparently the way they have it worked out is that the brewery is separate from the restaurant and therefore they can hold the license. The law in this area is all pretty murky to me, to be honest. Another bill is one by Christy Clark, R-Choteau, that would create a boutique beer or wine license for specialty shops to sell beer or wine.

If one thing is clear, it’s that something must be done to change the current system. The current laws do not bode well for businesses or consumers. Placing a limit on how many beers a brewery can serve while also limiting how much they can produce won’t help breweries grow (i.e. won’t help small businesses grow). Personally, I don’t care about having more than three beers at a brewery. However, I’m spoiled living in Missoula. I can just go down the street for another. Those living in smaller Montana towns with only one brewery don’t have that luxury. Hopefully, for the sake of all of us drinking folk, our elected leaders will find some compromise.

To see a list of alcohol-related bills by the Montana Legislature, click here.

- Matt Pritchard

The bartering will take place after the Whitefish Winter Carnival parade at around 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2. The premise is fairly simple, “What would you do or trade for a year’s worth of beer?” Last year, a fire dancer, a guy with two Volkswagon buses and skaters impressively ollieing over beer kegs took home prizes (watch the video below).

The grand prize this year consists of 52 cases of Blackstar, Wheatfish Wheat Lager and Going to the Sun IPA, so you can check beer shopping off your list in 2013. If you’re interested in signing up, register at Great Northern Brewing by 3 p.m. on Feb. 2. If you’re going all out and have some grandiose idea requiring special arrangements, contact Jessica Lucey before Jan. 31 at (406) 863-1000 ext. 2.

- Matt Pritchard

In Mexico, for one to receive a DUI a person has to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.4. That, according to the Gringo Gazette, is not a typo. That’s five times over the legal limit in Montana (0.08) and nearly 0.1 over the point at which most people pass out (0.3).

There is some hope that change is coming. Officers in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo now have a few portable breathalyzers that they are using to try and stop the most egregious offenders, but there clearly is still work to do.

- Matt Pritchard