406 Hops Brewing News Issue #5

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Serious Hunting For Exceptional Beer Elk Ridge Brewing Company started out as conversations between two of its owners held during their respective workouts. Kurt Sager and Caleb Burton eventually brought their wives into the conversations and the four of them began praying on where, how, and if they should take the conversations to the next level. After attending a few brew fests together and speaking with brewers already in the business, the couples began to look for a home for their brewery. About this same time is when Jeff and Michelle joined the crew.

The six of them wound up purchasing a rundown bar/restaurant. They completely gutted the entire building and started from scratch,

1/Issue #5

A Historic Building Shines Light on Smelter City

putting the tap room in front and rebuilding the entire back third from the floor up to house the brew house. They wanted the brewery to reflect their customer’s interests and livelihood. Hunting and logging are what the area is mainly about, hence the rustic, outdoorsy theme for the building. Local beetle-killed blue pine was used for the bar top, floors, and tables. The mounts are a mixture of those belonging to the owners, loans from friends, and some from an outfitters family from Philipsburg.

The Elk Ridge Brewing Company’s owners are hoping their presence in Deer Lodge will help improve the business climate of the town. Their customers have brought business to local eateries,

Many of Montana’s towns have some amazing historical roots.

Those roots, however, are often covered in plaster, drywall, and particle board in an attempt to bring infrastructure to a more modern look. Fortunately for the town of Anaconda, Luke Carlson, owner of Smelter City Brewing, has torn off those coverings allowing history to once again shine light on Main Street.

In the 1880’s Marcus Daly saw mining potential in the hills surrounding town. He forged ahead helping to settle the area, create a community, and connect Butte with Anaconda so that copper and silver ore could be easily transported to the Anaconda smelter. With his

efforts Anaconda made its mark on the map, and as the company grew they purchased the Electric Light Building to house their Railway and Electric division. Over the years the building went through a series of renovations, but ultimately was abandoned and left to dilapidate.

That is until 2014 when Luke Carlson purchased the building and began the arduous process of renovating it back to its historic glory before re-opening the building as Anaconda’s very own Smelter City Brewing.

But Luke Carlson isn’t a brewer. He understands the process, but he’s a builder and renovation expert by trade. Before the brewery was able to open he tracked down Luke

Continued on page 7

Continued on page 7

BBQ in the Badlands Brew Fest Saturday, September 30th 12-7 pm

Dawson County Fair Grounds, Glendive, Montana

Come enjoy competitive KCBS BBQ, Live Music, Family Fun & Great Craft Beer!

To sign up as a BBQ Chef or Brewery

& Brew Fest

Contact the Glendive Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture at: 406-377-5601 • www.glendivechamber.com • chamber@midrivers.com

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Homebrewer for nearly a decade now, VP of the Rimrock Brewers Guild, and I teach the Learn and Taste Craft Beer series of classes for MSU Billings. See MSU B ad on P3.

A Bimonthly Publication Dedicated to Montana’s Brewing News.

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aul J.

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WHO WE ARE: Two women, with a deep passion for craft beer and the process

involved; who decided to pursue a dream of creating a publication that focuses on Montana.

406 Hops Spotlights: brewery/taprooms, beer selections/styles, events, homebrewing and women in brewing. We are Montana Brewers Association affiliate members.

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Pope

Walk down any beer aisle and you will notice a battle brewing. No, it’s not the one over shelf space between craft breweries and those megalithic brewing corporations. It is the decision to can or bottle that glorious elixir. Over the past twenty or so years we have been conditioned to associate cans with inexpensive yellow, fizzy beer and the variety of shapely bottles as hand-crafted artisan beer. This prompts me to explore the question, which is better, cans or bottles?

Bottling technology and practices are much older than cans. Canned beer is a recent invention. The first canned beer was introduced to American markets in 1935 by the Gottfried Krueger Brewery. Bottled beer was invented in Hertfordshire, England over 400 years ago. The first beer bottles were hand-blown glass or stoneware. The relationship of glass bottles to aluminum cans is somewhat unique. Typically, when a new and superior technology emerges it replaces the old technology. This then begs the question, why do we use both? The easy answer is, both offer different technical or aesthetic benefits The aluminum beer can, with its protective lining, has a lot of qualities that are superior to glass bottles. Cans block out 100 percent of UV light. This means, at no time, will a canned beer become light struck (skunky). Given our love of hoppy beers this is nothing short of miraculous. The hoppier the beer, the more exaggerated the skunking can be. Cans also prevent oxygen ingress, which can create off flavors like wet paper or cardboard when sugars are oxidized. Stale beer still happens, it just happens much slower in cans.

Beer bottles, particularly the brown glass ones, are ubiquitous to the beer industry worldwide. Cans, in spite of the many size options, their shape and closure is all the same. Bottles offer interesting options to a brewery for closures, shapes, and styles. Beer drinkers feel they are getting something special if the beer is in a 750 ml glass bottle with a Champaign-style cork and cage. This format is particularly well-suited to bottle conditioning beer (bottled with yeast) to naturally carbonate and mature. Clarity of the bottle, even brown ones, makes it inferior to cans. We all know that beer in clear bottles is almost certainly skunked long before you open it. There is absolutely zero protection for beer quality in a clear bottle. Avoid such poorly packaged beer at all costs. Then there are green bottles, popular with some European mass produced lager breweries and at least a couple brands in the U.S. Green bottles offer only minimal light protection for the beer, skunking is still a significant problem. The brown bottle is the industry standard and offers good, not excellent, protection.

Lastly, the closure of bottled beer comes in three varieties; a metal crown, a plastic and rubber swing top, and cork and cage. All three are about the same in maintaining beer and is more than adequate in preventing oxidation. However, all three are less successful at preventing oxidation than a sealed aluminum can.

This all comes down to consumer preferences and marketing. There are pros and cons to both options, but I believe, in the end, it all equals out. Light colored, hoppy, and lower alcohol beers benefit the most from being in cans. Higher alcohol and dark beers benefit the most from a life in the bottle. Both are recyclable, but cans weigh less for shipping. Both can be an ideal container to move your favorite beer from the brewery to your hand, it just may depend more on the beer inside rather than the package.

In my humble opinion, I believe all beer should be poured into the glassware appropriate to its style.

Otherwise you don’t get the full experience of all those fantastic flavors the brewer worked to pack in there for you. Therefore, the end result is the same, tasty beer in your glass.

IN THIS ISSUE

Breweries: Elk Ridge Brewing, Smelter City, Draught Works, White Dog Brewing, Thirsty Street, Carter’s Brewing, Beaverhead Brewing Co., Bayern Brewing, Muddy Creek, Great Northern, Bonsai, Ruby Valley Brewing, Katabatic, Bozeman Brewing, and Tamarack Brewing Co. Women In Brewing: Jill Dawson, Keela Smith, Amanda LaYacona and LaNette Jones.

Homebrewing Clubs: Dustin Strong/Rockin MC Brew Club and Jeff Shearer/Zoo City Zymurgists.

We’d like to thank our contributing writers: Dr Paul Pope, Josh Michael, Lynne Jourdonnais, Vince Grewe, Alex Hartford, Scott Sery/Sery Content Development, and Dan Rice/Trail Inn Tap Haus.

Shoutout to: Photographer/Carson Rose. Hop on Board Blog/Don & LuAnn Schrauth.

Bayern Brewing

PAGE 2 • Volume 1/Issue #5 • A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MONTANA’S BREWING NEWS

Philipsburg Brewing Company

C E R T I F I C AT E

Brewing up a Career

Alex Patten at Canyon Creek Brewing in Billings

It is not a stretch to say the American craft brewing industry has been built on the backs of homebrewers. Ask any 10 brewers from your favorite breweries and I will wager at least eight or nine of them were homebrewers before going pro. It is very much the American dream to take a hobby you are passionate about and turning it into full-time gig. However, this route to professional brewing is long and very difficult. Most homebrewers are only familiar with brewing a few gallons of beer at a time. Running a brewery is very complicated and involves a lot more than simply turning malt, water, hops, and yeast into beer. So what do you do if you are lacking in the necessary knowledge and skills to run a successful brewery? Go to school!

As the craft brewing industry has taken off in America and Europe there is an increased need for education in the brewing industry. There are plenty of classic schools in Europe and some well established programs in the United States. However, there has not been enough capacity in these programs to accommodate the explosion in demand for skilled professionals in the brewing industry.

Seeing this growing demand, Montana State University Billings established the Craft Brewing and Fermentation program in 2016. The program is a one year certificate focused on the basic skills necessary to enter the brewing, wine, and distillation industries. The program was designed to facilitate busy lives.

Most of the program is taught online with in-person labs to get some necessary hands on experience. The program covers business, microbiology and biochemistry, the brewing process, and concludes with a final internship or project. The MSUB program began with an inaugural cohort of 10 students. Alex Patten is one of those first 10 students. Alex is finishing his certificate with an internship at Canyon Creek Brewing Co. in Billings, Montana. I interviewed Alex about his experience in the program and his transition to becoming a professional in the brewing industry. Full disclosure, I am Alex’s brewing instructor in the MSUB program.

Alex, how did you get interested in brewing?

My brother, Eli, is responsible for getting me into home brewing. He bought a kit, and we made a few batches while living together ten years ago. This started my fascination with brewing my own beer.

Thanks Eli! How did you hear about the MSUB Craft Brewing and Fermentation program?

I first heard about this program from an article in the Billings Gazette. As soon as I finished reading the article, I sent off an application to join the program.

What did you like most about the program?

I absolutely loved the microbiology and chemistry labs. I’m very much interested in the science behind brewing, and the lab courses were a great way to gain hands-on experience.

What did you like least about the program?

I would have liked the program to be longer. So, I think the length was my least favorite part.

PROGRAM

A 16-credit undergraduate program that provides an overview of the biochemistry, microbiology, technology, and business of the craft-brewing industries.

Now accepting applications for enrollment!

msubillings.edu/extendedcampus/craft_brew_certificate.htm

Join us in our adventures.

ON BOARD with Don and LuAnn Schrauth “If you see us in a brewery, stop and say “HI” and share a beer conversation.”

How difficult was it to fit time for the program into your life?

Not difficult at all. Most of the program was online, so I could work on it anytime I was free. The labs were once a week, and went from 5:30-7:30, so it was easy to fit into my schedule.

What, if anything, do you believe your internship added to your brewing education?

The internship was an incredibly essential element of the certificate. Seeing and working the day-to-day aspects of a brewery was crucial to my education. Working at Canyon Creek has been fantastic. I want to thank everybody there, especially Ron! So what is next for you as a professional in the brewing industry?

With the experience I have gained from the certificate program, I will be helping set up a lab at Canyon Creek. This is an area of brewing that I really want to focus on.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years professionally?

I hope to continue building upon my knowledge and experience and see where it takes me. Who knows what the future holds.

(— Article by Dr. Paul J. Pope)

Read all about our journey in which ALL Montana Brewery’s were visited in less than two years. The quest continues!

Visit our blog at www.406hops.com And to think that it all started with a Montana Brewery PASSPORT from our kids as a gift.

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Sour Beer Trends In Montana For most of beer history, all beer was sour, to some degree. The sourness - characterized by a tart or acidic flavor profile - comes from the presence of wild yeast or bacteria in the beer. Over time, sterile brewing environments became more commonplace, bacterial “contamination” was curbed, the use of single strain yeast cultures replaced the use of wild yeasts, and sour beer as a style gradually died off in most parts of the world. In recent years, traditional sour beers have been making a huge comeback, particularly on the west coast. Imported sour beers from historic breweries in Belgium and Germany are popping up more and more regularly. And, Montana brewers are starting to bring this style of beer to our local taprooms and pubs. We’ve taken the opportunity to speak with a handful of Montana brewers who are pioneering the sour beer industry in our state.

Draught Works Blood Orange Gose in Cans

White Dog Blackberry Sour

DRAUGHT WORKS Jeff Grant, co-owner and brewer at Draught Works in Missoula, has been brewing sour beers for almost two years. “We currently produce sour beers using lactobacillus (a bacteria that creates lactic acid) and create several different gose style beers. We’ve made a blackberry gose, huckleberry gose (using wild picked huckleberries from the Missoula area), key lime gose, and others.”

Draught Works recently opened a new canning line, and among the new canning lineup is their Blood Orange Gose, which Jeff describes as “a perfect candidate for the cans, as it’s a very approachable sour style and beer. It’s brewed with lactobacillus, coriander, sea salt (which gives it a very refreshing character and aids in the tart characteristic), and real blood orange.” The Blood Orange Gose has been popular in the Draught Works Taproom, with sours becoming a growing percentage of their overall beer production - and with this beer being canned, you’ll be able to find it available in bars and stores around the state. Jeff notes that the sour demographic is growing, and that sours appeal to a very wide demographic, from “beer geeks, to new customers who might not know they like beer yet.”

Jeff observes that “the craft beer market is moving extremely fast right now, and is constantly evolving and growing. With that growth, you’re seeing all sorts of new styles, and old styles being reborn. With the strength of the craft market, I believe sours will continue to be an available style.”

WHITE DOG BREWING CO. Troy Moore of White Dog Brewing Co. in Bozeman has been brewing sour beers at his facility for over a year, and their “Blackberry Sour Ale” is now a flagship beer which is always available in his taproom and for distribution. White Dog is one of the few Montana breweries which make sour beers readily available for distribution, and part of the secret to the success and volume of this beer is that White Dog is brewing “quick sours,” also known as “kettle sours,” which are soured in the brew kettle rather than during the fermentation or barrel aging process. Rather than having a separate brewing setup for sours, the basic process for White Dog is that the beer is brewed; soured in the kettle; kept sealed for 72 hours; boiled again to kill off the lactobacillus; then transferred to ferment. This process, along with a strict sterilization regiment, has worked well, with no lacto contamination having occurred in the brewery.

While barrel aging a sour beer will mellow out some of the sharpness that comes with a new sour beer, Troy’s approach to making a sour balanced and enjoyable is a bit different - he aims to complement the sharpness and tartness of the kettle soured beer with other ingredients, such as fruit. In addition to the Blackberry Sour, White Dog’s “Passion Fruit Gose” has enjoyed immense success. Troy notes that sours are their second biggest moving beer style, second only to their “Blood Orange Hefe,” which is itself an exceedingly popular beer.

Troy doesn’t take the addition of fruit to beer lightly, having tasted some very poorly executed “artificially flavored” fruit beers in his travels. As such, Troy spends a lot of time seeking out the correct variety of real fruit to compliment the subtle character of the esters and phenols which occur in the beer as part of the brewing process. Oranges are used to compliment the citrusy flavors coming through in his hefe; and blackberry and passion fruit in his sours. Troy has a boysenberry Gose (a Gose is a German style kettle sour brewed with sea salt and corriander) in the works currently, and will be experimenting with cranberry in the near future.

Troy indicates that at his taproom, there is a broad demographic of people who have become sour beer drinkers. The younger crowd (21-35) are most likely to be previously educated on sour beers, and already know what they’re after when it comes to sours. Troy has also had a lot of success turning tourist populations of all ages who visit the taproom to sour beer, often explaining to the skeptical to-be sour beer drinker that they can consider a sour to be something akin to an adult lemonade.

Tart, crisp, and refreshing.

Part of the allure of White Dog’s sours is the color profile of the beer. The blackberry in particular is a very attractive bright pink color, and when another taproom customer sees one of these brightly colored beers being served, they are drawn into trying a White Dog sour. Which... is often the first sour the patron has ever tried. And as a result, a new sour beer drinker is born. And that is a very cool thing.

PAGE 4 • Volume 1/Issue #5 • A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MONTANA’S BREWING NEWS

Shea Dawson filling oak barrels with sour beer

THIRSTY STREET BREWING CO. Thirsty Street Brewing Co. in Billings opened in February of 2016, and brewer and owner Shea Dawson had a plan to get into the sour beer game right after they opened.

Market research indicated that sour production in the Billings area may need to be eased into, so Shea spent his first several months releasing a variety of approachable beers, with a focus on Belgian style brews. That said, within the first several months, Shea began brewing sour beers, to include a plum sour ale (fermented on locally picked plums); a flathead cherry barrel aged sour stout; and a couple of more heavily hopped sour ales. All of these beers were well received by local patrons, and Thirsty Street has had success selling these sour beer releases in 750ml bombers, and encourages customers to let these sour releases age in the bottle prior to drinking.

Last month, Shea literally split his brewing setup in two - utilizing a “clean side” of the brewery for his more traditional beer lineup, and a “sour side” where Shea brews and experiments with wild yeast and bacteria, and separate equipment for each side. Shea’s approach to brewing sour beers does not attempt to create traditional sour Belgian or German beer recipes or styles; instead, Shea is putting his own spin on American sour beer. Shea notes that much like the hops “arms race” toward the biggest IPAs imaginable, there has also been a similar movement in the sour beer revolution toward making extremely sour ales. Thirsty Street is shooting more for balance and sophistication than an over-the-top sour beer; something which has helped new sour beer drinkers ease into the world of sours.

Currently, Thirsty Street is fermenting up a 4.5bbl batch of a new sour, which is fermenting on 100 pounds of fresh peaches and apricots.

Shea notes that Montana’s sour beer market is growing, following in the footsteps of California, Oregon, and Washington; the Denver area; and the East Coast. The demographic for sour beer drinkers at Thirsty Street tends to be among the younger consumers (20s and 30s), but sours have been fairly popular across the board. At this point, all of Thirsty Street’s sours have been oak aged between 6 and 12 months, with the hopped sour ales having been entirely fermented in oak (as opposed to stainless), although some more quickly produced kettle sours will likely emerge in the future.

Foeders of the same variety which Carter’s Brewing will be acquiring

Carter’s Brewing Michael Uhrich, owner of Carter’s Brewing, prides himself on making true to craft, Belgian style, barrel aged sour beers, in the heart of downtown Billings. Mike releases sours 4-5 times per year, following an average of 15 months of barrel aging, and each 10bbl batch of Sour typically sells out in the taproom in a period of 7-10 days. Based on the foregoing, it is clear that sours from Carter’s have a demand which greatly exceeds the supply.

In Mike’s opinion, barrel aged sour beers are the pinnacle of beer styles. They aren’t easy to make and there is plenty of risk involved with aging a beer for over a year. The beer can oxidize. The barrel can become contaminated. On occasion, an entire barrel or batch of beer will need to be dumped out if things don’t go according to plan. Cooperage is expensive, and barrels take up valuable floor space throughout the brewery. That said, when a barrel aged sour beer is matured to perfection, the experience of drinking the resulting beer is well worth the time and expense involved in making it.

Carter’s will typically use a lager yeast for primary fermentation, with a light bodied sweet base beer resulting. Once the beer is transferred to barrels, wild yeast and bacteria do their work during secondary fermentation to create the sour beer. The longer secondary ferment of the sweet base beer results in a higher acidity than is typical, and a complex flavor profile. About ½ of Carter’s sours will be fruited, with raspberry, peach, apricot, or cherry; and some sours will be aged on hibiscus flowers. There will be a mid July 2017 release of a sour peach Saison, which is finishing its time in one of Carter’s 30 oak barrels as of the writing of this article.

Mike has taken a lot of his approach from the sour beer experts at New Belgium Brewing, who are among the most respected sour beer brewers in the country. Carter’s oak barrels are kept full at all times, to keep the yeast and bacteria cultures living in the barrels healthy - the same as New Belgium does with their foeders (which are huge oak casks, often times being a couple of stories in height). Mike enjoys using wild yeast for fermentation as the character is often subtle and not overpowering, and allows for a complex beer - noting that the barrels will lend oak character and tannins, sourness and some “funk” from the bacteria, along with prevalent fruit flavors in the fruited sours (and subtle fruit character, even in the non-fruited sours), for a very complex and balanced sour beer result.

Of an interesting note, Mike is currently working on sourcing a foeder for the brewery, to complete his sour beer production setup. New Belgium Brewing is well known for having an enormous oak room for sour beer aging, filled wall to wall with these enormous foeders. With the introduction of a foeder to the brewery, Carter’s should be able to produce sours on a much larger scale than they are able to currently.

This will be a very exciting addition to the sour beer world in Montana.

Mike himself does enjoy a good kettle sour beer, in styles such as Berliner Weisse and Gose (which are German styles of sour beer); however, his sour beer program focuses solely on Belgian style sours, of the barrel aged variety.

Given the relatively small volume and long periods for aging, experiencing a sour from Carter’s is truly an exceptional experience, and a rare one among our Montana breweries.

ersht e b 40 raug on d At the Trails Inn Tap Haus, we take craft beer seriously!

Stop in and check out eastern Montana's largest selection of local, regional, and imported crafted beers and ciders.

BREWERS: We run direct distributed taps regularly, and meticulously clean and service our own lines. Interested in a guest handle, or coming down for a tap takeover event? Contact Dan at TrailsInn1885@gmail.com.

607 Main Street — Miles City, MT — (406) 234-2922

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Today!

In Closing…

We are truly fortunate in Montana to have pioneers such as Jeff, Shea, Troy, and Mike, who are taking risks and dedicating their time and energy to open the eyes of Montanans to the largely lost art of sour beer. With Draught Works and White Dog producing sours in a volume which are able to be distributed around the state; with Thirsty Street experimenting and creating new sour beer styles which have never been seen in this part of the world; and with Carter’s producing true Belgian style sours right here in Montana; these forward thinking brewers are making a big impact on beer in the Big Sky state.

(— Article by Dan Rice/Trails Inn Tap Haus)

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Finely Crafted Beer in an Intimate Atmosphere Beaverhead County occupies the south west corner of Montana. Despite being the largest county in Montana, fewer than 10,000 people call it home; with roughly half of them living in or around the town of Dillon. In the late 1890’s, the residents of Dillon, Montana would gather at the local watering hole after a hard day’s work. They would share stories of the day while sipping a fine brew from Beaverhead Brewing Company. In 1919, just before Prohibition swept through the country, Beaverhead Brewing Company turned off the open sign for almost 100 years.

In 2014, Brett Maki switched it back on reintroducing the residents of Dillon to the joys of finely crafted beer in the intimate atmosphere we have come to know as a tap room.

Building on a Beer Foundation Like many brewers across the country, Brett found his passion as a home brewer. For a few months he experimented creating his own beers at home, but he wanted more. He wanted to expand his beer knowledge beyond the five gallon bucket.

At the time, he and his wife were living in Seattle, the home of Pyramid Brewing Company.

Pyramid taught him the basics. The very basics that is: he started out washing tanks and driving a forklift. But Brett’s a quick learner, and his passion showed. He quickly moved from washing tanks to cellar work and learning the art of brewing beer.

As it was, Pyramid closed their doors in Seattle, but Brett was able to take his talents to South Seattle at Georgetown Brewing Company. This young brewery was only in their second year and with his experience at Pyramid Brett was able to help with more than just the production side.

He took on more of a managerial role, one that allowed him to train new brewers, and develop new beers.

When the opportunity came up for the family to move back to Dillon they took it. Brett saw a need for a brewery in the area, and since the kids were getting older, he brought his skills as a brewer to the small town in South West Montana.

Bringing Beer to Dillon Before opening their doors, Brett did some research. He decided to go with the same name as the brewery that shut down almost 100 years prior.

This homage keeps history alive, and every beer that is produced is named after a local landmark that those familiar with Dillon and Beaverhead County will recognize.

The biggest issue, however, is that in a small town you don’t have room to expand as rapidly as Brett would like. His production rolls off the lines at right around 700 barrels per year, and they keep 8 flagship beers going at all times (including the Whitetail Wit Bier that outsells everything else 3 to 1).

Small production, and flagship beers that don’t waver, is not to say that there aren’t seasonal beers crafted each year. The most popular to date: Vanilla Bean Porter. Made with Madagascar vanilla beans that are steeped in the kegs to give a nice subtle flavor, this one sells out quickly.

While there are plenty of patrons to keep the brewery busy, there isn’t the market to do some experimental beers.

Brett has a passion for sours and IPA’s. But with their production system Beaverhead Brewing can’t efficiently make a small batch and take the risk that it might not sell very well. For the time being, until they discover a way to create small batches, those ideas are all put on hold.

With blue ribbon fishing on 5 different rivers flowing nearby, there are always new faces in town, especially during the hatches. They come through looking to hook the big one; they end up dining at one of the many great eateries in town (Brett recommends anything with pulled pork); they stay for the great beer that’s produced at Beaverhead Brewing Company.

If you stop by, don’t be afraid to offer suggestions. Every one of them is taken into consideration, and on your next trip you may see they have been implemented.

(— Article by Scott Sery)

Bayern Brewing Makes Us Believers in Beer Bayern Brewing in Missoula, MT has some surprisingly traditional roots, and an owner that turns out some of the most authentic beer in Montana. German national Jurgen Knoller started Bayern in 1987, and admits he had originally never heard of Montana and could hardly point it out on a map, but he did recognize Calgary from being a hockey fan, and knew Montana would present the aesthetic he loved while growing up in the Bavarian mountains. And now, after spending over half of his life in Montana and living in Missoula longer than any place prior, Knoller has become not only a Montana staple in the beer industry but also a pioneer of German food and culture through his restaurant Edelweiss Bistro. But perhaps it’s his dedication to preserving Montana values which he weaves throughout his work, and he supports and is involved with numerous local charities, one of which is the non-profit Montana Trout Unlimited, and his desire to work with locals is central to his mission statement and it makes this German undoubtedly a Montanan.

Knoller confesses he cannot live in flat country, and places like Nebraska and the sport of golf are decidedly not his cup of tea. He loves the mountain air and skiing and the visual appeal of Montana initially won over his heart, and once he moved to Missoula he basically never left. It’s precisely this dedication that translates to Knoller’s beer and the traditional techniques he employs to stay true to his art. This selfproclaimed “dinosaur” of the industry brews from his experiences and extensive knowledge of the regions and materials used in Germany, and unlike most brewers he doesn’t have to return to notes or dates to determine what resources he used in the production of certain beers, as his German brewing tradition has ultimately been so engrained that it is now second nature to Knoller.

He knows exactly what he is doing. And this also includes his decision to open a restaurant on top of the brewery, in which he spares no cost to bring in the most authentic ingredients from Germany (Knoller found an importer for his favorite German pickles, and his hot mustard is unlike any spicy

PAGE 6 • Volume 1/Issue #5 • A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MONTANA’S BREWING NEWS

mustard around).

Bayern Brewery and the Edelweiss Bistro perfectly encapsulate German culture, just as the beer itself contains an aura of how things used to be, back when beer was part of a cultural heritage and not just a trend America likes to pretend it invented. Knoller’s techniques are deep-rooted, and after 30 years Bayern is still growing and still staying true to German methods. But that doesn’t mean Knoller and team aren’t apt to keep things fun and interesting, as he fully acknowledges there is a happy medium between sticking to convention and teetering on experimental. Knoller likes a good mix but without forfeiting identity.

And by all appearances, he has done just that. His collection of beers read like the German purists he so aptly replicates. Like his festive Doppelbock, which is dark in color and a bottom-fermenting lager, and it is a perfect winter beer for the holidays. There is also the Bavarian unfiltered wheat beer St. Wilbur Weizen, and this specialty is brewed using the recipe of the old Brauerei zum Schiff brewery in Kaufbeuren. Or if you’re feeling adventurous there is Bayern’s Inconceivable Digital Beer Series, whose imagination rests on using numerous brewing techniques and experimental hops to create an enticing mixture all the while staying within strict accordance with Reinheitsgebot. Currently, Inconceivable No. 2 is available at select stores and is a golden pale, 70 IBU brew and is made with European-style two-row Pilsener and wheat malts. Just right for summer.

Jurgen Knoller brought us Bayern Brewing as an extension of his home and his philosophy, and if anything, he has provided Montana with a cultural additive that has seasoned the population with glimpses of the old way juxtaposed with newer brewing practices. Bayern Brewing is a breath of fresh air in a place where the air is already unmistakably fresh. And with beer for every season and holiday, Knoller proves his legacy as a beer connoisseur won’t soon be forgotten.

(— Article by Josh Michael)

Elk Ridge Brewing

and the owners are also hoping that tourists will stay in town a little longer and enjoy what the town and area have to offer. They are planning on getting involved with the community through various future events.

The goals for the first year are to nail down exceptional customer service and to keep up with production. Their aim is to take care of the patrons visiting the taproom and do that well before planning any distribution of any kind. They would eventually like to get into some limited distribution of their beers though. They certainly have dreams about a future production facility, but at this time have no plans to tread down that road. Currently their beer is sold only in their own beautiful tap room.

The six co-owners are running the show on their own without additional help. The brewery brews about 600 barrels per year and sells their creations pub style as they don’t want to overwhelm the flavor with carbonation. According to Michelle, the most fun variety to brew is the Jalapeno Cream Ale because it bursts from start to finish with flavor and aroma. Her favorite part is snacking on the beer soaked jalapenos at the end of the brew day. Apparently, even customers who don’t like jalapenos like this beer, and those that do rave about it. They build their water profiles to meet that of the water of the place where the beer originated. Coming up with new flavors to date involves trying other beers and then putting their own twist on varieties that they most enjoy.

Wee Heavy aged in Scotch (whiskey) barrels is something they would like to brew if money and time were no object.

It sounds as if the brewers had fun naming their Elk Ridge beers. Cow in Heat (Jalapeno Cream Ale) they simply thought was a cheeky name. Raghorn (Kolsch) is the smallest bull, so they named their smallest beer for it. War Tine (Sweet Stout) was one of a few options put to a vote of the breweries Facebook followers. It is the biggest tine on an elk’s rack. Old Baldy (Scottish Ale) is named for a mountain north of town. Black Mountain (Black IPA) is another mountain outside of town. Two Bull Ridge (Double IPA) is a name that comes from a local hunting story of a friend of theirs.

Per Michelle, “verification of the veracity of the

Continued from front cover...

authenticity of the fabled hunt must be verified by the questionable individual. Hehe!” Sugar Loaf (Pumpkin Ale) is another mountain outside of Deer Lodge. Cow Call (Huckleberry Ale) is so named because it will draw the ladies in. Brow Tine (Pilsner) is named for the first two tines on an elk’s rack.

The brewery patrons have been very upbeat and positive about the addition of the brewery to the community. The owners really enjoy hanging with them and listening to all of the customers stories.

Kurt has apparently decided that brewing beer is more about being a janitor than an actual brewer.

That is the second time in writing stories for Issue 5 that the janitorial/maintenance aspect of owning a brewery has come up in regards to trumping actual creativity/brewing time.

Elk Ridge Brewing Company offers pizzas for lunch. Many local restaurants will package food to go or deliver so that customers can enjoy a bite to eat with their beer of choice. They also have a couple of food trucks, Grantz food truck and Fox in the Henhouse food truck, that come in alternately on Monday through Thursday from 5-8. Someone else brings food in from 5-8 on Fridays and Saturdays.

In regards to the owners favorite beers, Kurt loves an IPA. “Caleb is Scottish, so ‘if it’s not Scottish, it’s crap’.” Outside of Elk Ridge beers, Michelle enjoys Razzu from Philipsburg.

Jeff is a fan of Miner’s Gold from Lewis and Clark. Quinnelle favors Watermelon Shandy by Lienenkugles. Caleb likes Bourbon barrel aged Badfinger from Philipsburg. Kurt tosses back Dogfishhead 90 Minute IPA. Deer Lodge is home to the historic Montana State Prison Museum complex. Visitors can enjoy not just the prison tour, but a toy museum, old west museum, and a car museum as well. At the other end of town is the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site. There are a variety of activities available there with seasonal events throughout the year which include golf, fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing, bowling, and swimming. So plan on making Deer Lodge a destination and belly up to the bar at Elk Ridge Brewing Company for a nice cold brew or a few while you are there!

(— Article by Lynne Jourdonnais)

RECIPE from Edelweiss Bistro • bayernbrewery.com • 406-721-1482

Steadman. Together the Lukes have created beer that is wildly popular in this Western Montana town.

That popularity is due to many years of hard work and training that Steadman went through.

He grew up on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania where he learned that if you want to forge ahead, you have to be willing to put in long hours. While going to school he helped renovate an old dairy barn into a brewery, but when construction was complete he had worked himself out of a job.

Fortunately, the owners needed someone to help with the brewing and to manage the tap room, and Steadman quickly picked up the trade. Over the years he traveled the country helping to set up breweries and creating new recipes. Eventually he got tired of moving and he wanted to chill out and plant a flag. The mountains and world class fishing were exactly what he needed; to our benefit we get an experienced brewer set on creating awesome beer.

Luke Carlson isn’t a beer noob by any means.

In college his first foray into the craft beer market was sipping on a Big Sky Brewing beer. Over the years he developed a taste for the nuances between styles, and now when the Lukes sit

down, they collaborate on what beer to brew, which ingredients to track down (using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible), and which hops would work well for that style. In the end, they have provided beer that the roughly 9,000 residents of Anaconda can fall in love with.

Smelter City Brewing currently has 8 beers on tap with two more coming down the pipeline. If you ask Steadman what his favorite beer to brew and drink is, he won’t give you a straight answer.

He will claim they are all creative children, that combining the art and science of brewing is a physical, creative, and technical challenge all at once. Each beer is a work of art. However if you go by the best selling beer, the patrons seem to enjoy the Anaconda Standard, Smelter City’s lager, the best.

Whether you’re out and about enjoying the mountains of Western Montana, or finding the perfect hole on a world class trout stream, or merely driving by and noticing the 585 foot smelter smoke stack (built in 1919; designated a state park and saved from demolition in 1986), make a pit stop at Smelter City Brewing and see what’s on tap.

(— Article by Scott Sery)

RECIPE from Flathead Lake Brewing Co. • flatheadlakebrewing.com • 406-837-0353

The Edelweiss Bistro, located inside Missoula’s Bayern Brewery, opened in September of 2015. The menu is comprised of Bavarian fare based off of recipes that the owner, Juergen Knoeller, has either created or personally chosen to represent the Allgäu region of Germany that he is from. One of these dishes is our UDO’S DRAGON’S SOUP. It is a staple here at the brewery and named after long-time friend and regular, Udo Shonk. One of the unique reasons this soup is so delicious is because it is made with our very own Dragon’s Breath dark hefeweizen beer. The soup is made with locally sourced chuck and honey cured bacon, some roasted red bells peppers, onions, russet potatoes, and a generous amount of paprika that gives it a bit of a kick. We thicken the soup with a beef fat roux made from the trimmings of the chuck as a way to reduce food waste in our establishment. This soup is just one of many favorites here at the brewery, such as our hand-pounded wiener schnitzel, house-made frikadelle patties, and refreshing gurkensalat, all of which are served year round. We hope that this peaks your interest as another delicious way to enjoy one of our tasty German beers.

Mathias Barabasch

Smelter City Brewing

MBA picture

Continued from front cover...

SWIMMER’S ITCH SAISON CORN MUFFINS • Makes 20 muffins 3 cup flour 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 cup cornmeal 2 T. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 1/4 cup Swimmer’s Itch Saison

5 eggs lightly beaten 1/3 cup apple sauce 6 T. melted butter 1 cup corn 1/3 cup corn juice 1/4 cup chopped jalapenos

Separate juice from corn. Set corn and jalapenos aside. In a mixing bowl add corn juice and all other wet ingredients except butter. Add dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Sift dry ingredients until well blended with a whisk. Stir wet ingredients until well blended then stir in melted butter.

Immediately add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just till blended and there are no dry pockets. Lightly fold in corn and jalapenos and fill muffin tin 1/2 full. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK • WWW.406HOPS.COM • 406-850-5113 • PAGE 7

Draught Works beer now available in cans

Dog and Grog Brew Fest at The Bale Of Hay, Virginia City!

What were you doing July 15th? If you missed D&G, visit us on Facebook and view our up to date festival directory.

You don’t want to miss another epic Montana beer fest, do you?

Draught Works Brewery is proud to present three of our most popular flagship brews, and a selection of seasonal favorites in cans for the first time ever!

Since opening in 2011, it has been Draught Works mission to bring better beers to the people of Montana, and the installation of a new line of canning equipment has made this dream more possible than ever before.

Earlier this year, Draught Works Brewery had the opportunity to expand in a big way. On January 1st, Freestone Climbing, a neighboring business in the same building relocated, allowing Draught Works to take over the 5000 sq ft space allowing them to more than double production capacity, and make room for a state of the art Leibinger canning line.

Though Draught Works brews have become a popular staple in bars, taprooms, and restaurants statewide, canning has tripled distribution.

Draught Works most popular flagship brews “That’s What She Said” Cream Ale, My Ruca American Pale Ale, and our Scepter India Pale Ale are currently available in six packs across central and western Montana. And, just in time for summer adventures, they’ve released four packs of a refreshing, tart, and funky Blood Orange Gose, the first canned sour to hit the shelves in MT, with another highly anticipated seasonal release expected early this fall.

As co-owner Paul Marshall puts it, “Canning was the final piece in our initial business plan for Draught Works, and it has most definitely provided us a stepping stone for further growth.”

ABOUT OUR BEERS Scepter IPA is a hop monster that shows no mercy. Seven insane additions of different hops create an assertive hop aroma of tropical fruits and citrus followed by fresh flavors of mango, pineapple, grapefruit and even coconut throughout each sip. Backed by a medium body and pleasantly pale-gold color, this beer is brewed with 2-Row and caramel malts that can stand up to a beast of hops. 2014 GABF® Gold medal for American-Style Strong Pale Ale. “That’s What She Said” Cream Ale is a straw colored light ale, brewed using light barley malt, flaked barley, flaked corn, and lactose (sugar from milk). Lactose provides a slight sweetness while enhancing the body and mouth feel. The malt sweetness tops the hop flavor, aroma, and bitterness. This ale is brewed with an ale yeast strain and then allowed to lager at cold temperatures creating a clean, crisp, refreshing beer. This is one easy drinking beer, . . . at least That’s What She Said.

My Ruca American Pale Ale - I’ve been waiting for My Ruca, or “one and only love”. Citrusy and tropical flavors abound in this American Pale Ale. This is our take on ”West Coast-Style” Pale Ale, which refers to the hop varieties used and the flavors they impart (delicious ones). Well-balanced, easy-drinking, pleasant (hop) character: all of the makings of a perfect soul mate, uh… I mean beer. We think you’ll find My Ruca to be sublime.

Blood Orange Gose is a refreshing; summery, tart ale. Our modern take on the traditional German-style wheat beer. Like a traditional gose (go-zuh), it includes sea salt and coriander along with wheat and pilsner malt. Unlike its German predecessor, ours includes a whole lot of blood oranges added during fermentation, which come through in a beautiful way. The end result is dry, refreshing and perfect for any warm weather activity. Draught Works’ Blood Orange Gose may just become your summer beer staple!

ABOUT DRAUGHT WORKS BREWERY Draught Works (“Draft Works”) began brewing in Missoula in October 2011. The brewery was built by founders, Jeff Grant and Paul Marshall, by redeveloping a 1931 former recycling center. Everything from the bar, barstools, doors, tables, and flooring once served a different life before being reclaimed into Draught Works’ taproom and brewery.

This industrial spirit has driven Draught Works to build better beers and produce a consistent line of craft ales and lagers. And just as draught beer is the epitome of fresh beer, the brewers at Draught Works work diligently to guarantee only the finest product leaves their brewery, one that reflects their passion for quality and the spirit of hard work. Winner of 2014 Very Small Brewing Company and Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year by GABF. (— Article by Kori Christianson, Draught Works Brewery)

Bale of Hay Owners, Kay and Gay

PAGE 8 • Volume 1/Issue #5 • A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MONTANA’S BREWING NEWS

Brews and BBQ at Metra Park in Billings Brewers, owners, and volunteers gathered to provide Billings with deliciious, local beers. Filled with back to back beer lovers, Brews and BBQs is a place to gather once a year and discover what Montana breweries have to offer!

(— Photos by Carson Rose)

Crazy Peak Cattle Women Present The 2nd

Beer & Brewfest and Ranch Rodeo Beer, Food, Vendors and Fun!

Saturday August 19th Craft Brew Offerings from

Gates Open at 1pm • Rodeo Starts at 3pm • Music Starts at 8pm Sponsored in part by

Sweet Grass County Fairgrounds in Big Timber • 200 West 1st Ave.

3 WAYS TO GET SOCIAL WITH BEER Your customers are using social media. But if you’re not meeting them where they are, you’re not connecting with as many as possible! It’s more than just having a Facebook or Instagram page; it’s using the page the right way to get as many people talking about you as possible.

Fortunately, people love to talk about beer. Here are 3 ways you can use their passion to drive people through your doors.

Post Pictures and videos – Post lots of visuals. Pictures of people in the tap room, videos of the first pour of that new seasonal beer, pictures of events that you sponsor, and pictures of “behind the scenes” go over well. People love it when they’re famous, and they love to see the face behind the beer.

Update New Menu Items – There are breweries that do this well: they take a picture of their new beer and they describe it. Then there are those that rely on chance. They wait for the customer to come in and happen to see the new brew. Don’t rely on chance.

Build an Ad – Facebook lets you target people down to a very specific niche. You can even target those that have an interest in the area, or those that have recently visited your area. If you sell brewery swag, it’s a great way to boost online sales with an easy ad stating, “Did you forget your souvenir?”

Social media is a great tool that every business should be taking advantage of. This is only the tip of how you can use it to your advantage so that more people are drinking better beer.

- SEO - Content Writing - Digital Marketing - Social Media Marketing - Get Found Online www.serycontentdevelopment.com

Enhance Your Online Image!

Offering search engine optimization and content marketing services at competitive prices. Contact us today to learn more about how we can take the stress off you by: • managing your SEO campaigns • writing highly targeted content • providing in depth social media training • developing your web presence, and more!

406-860-4407 Scott has been a homebrewer for over a decade.

Over the years he has developed a palate for well crafted beer, and enjoys experiencing the nuances of the different styles. As the secretary of the Rimrock Brewer's Guild he makes sure that the Guild is in communication with the members.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK • WWW.406HOPS.COM • 406-850-5113 • PAGE 9

Eureka

1

Cut Bank Havre

Whitefish

Libby

Columbia Falls

Lakeside

Bigfork

3

Polson

Thompson Falls

Black Eagle Great Falls Belt

Superior

Missoula Lolo Stevensville

Helena

™ Hamilton

BREWING NEWS

Philipsburg

White Sulphur Springs

Deer Lodge

4

Butte

Darby

Belgrade

AREA 1 - Glacier Country

Laurel Bozeman

Backslope Brewing | 406-897-2850 1107 9th St. W. (Hwy 2), Columbia Falls backslopebrewing.com

2

Bandit Brewing Co. | 406-646-6003 308 E. Tanner, Darby banditbeer.com

Livingston

Sheridan Dillon

Red Lodge Big Sky

Bayern Brewing, Inc. | 406-721-1482 1507 Montana St., Missoula bayernbrewery.com Big Sky Brewing Company | 406-549-2777 5417 Trumpeter Way, Missoula bigskybrew.com Bitter Root Brewing | 406-363-7468 101 Marcus St., Hamilton bitterrootbrewing.com Blacksmith Brewing | 406-777-0680 114 Main St., Stevensville blacksmithbrewing.com Bonsai Brewing | 406-730-1717 549 Wisconsin Ave., Whitefish bonsaibrew.com Cabinet Mountain Brewing | 406-293-2739 206 Mineral Ave., Libby cabinetmountainbrewing.com Draught Works Brewing | 406-541-1592 915 Toole Ave., Missoula draughtworksbrewery.com Dunluce Brewing | 406-531-4578 Superior, Montana dunlucebrewing.com Flathead Lake Brewing FLB #1 Woods Bay Brewery | 406-837-0353 26008 East Lake Shore Rte., Bigfork FLB #2 Bigfork Brewery | 406-837-0085 116 Holt Dr., Bigfork FLB #3 of Missoula | 406-542-3847 424 N. Higgins Blvd., Missoula flatheadlakebrewing.com

Billings

OVER 20 MONTANA CRAFT BEERS ON TAP

Gild Brewing | 515 S. Higgins, Missoula Opening Soon Glacier Brewing | 406-883-2595 6 Tenth Avenue East, Polson glacierbrewing.com Great Burn Brewing | 406-317-1557 2230 McDonald Ave., Missoula greatburnbrewing.com Great Northern Brewing | 406-863-1000 2 Central Ave., Whitefish greatnorthernbrewing.com H.A. Brewing Co. | 406-889-3950 2525 Grave Creek Rd., Eureka habrewing.com Higherground Brewing | 406-375-5204 518 N. 1st St., Hamilton highergroundbrewing.com Imagine Nation Brewing | 406-459-8993 1151 W. Broadway, Missoula imaginenationbrewing.com Kalispell Brewing | 406-756-BREW 412 Main St., Kalispell kalispellbrewing.com Kettlehouse Brewing | 406-728-1660 Southside: 602 Myrtle St., Missoula Northside: 313 N. 1st St. W, Missoula kettlehouse.com

Limberlost Brewing Company | 406-356-6198 1017 Main St., Thompson Falls facebook.com/limberlostbrewingcompany Opening Soon Lolo Peak Brewing | 406-493-6231 6201 Brewery Way, Lolo lolopeakbrewing.com Missoula Brewing Company | 406-549-8193 200 International Blvd., Missoula highlanderbeer.com OddPitch Brewing Co. | 406-360-5363 Missoula oddpitch.com (Opening Fall 2018) Tamarack Brewing TB #1 | 406-844-0244 105 Blacktail Road, Lakeside TB #2 | 406-830-3113 231 W Front St., Missoula tamarackbrewing.com Wildwood Brewing | 406-777-2855 4018 US Hwy 93 North, Stevensville wildwoodbrewing.com

AREA 2 - Southwest Montana Beaverhead Brewing | 406-988-0011 218 South Montana St., Dillon beaverheadbeer.com

PAGE 10 • Volume 1/Issue #5 • A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MONTANA’S BREWING NEWS

Sit Down and Enjoy a Cold Craft Beer While You Indulge in an Epic Pizza — Or — While You Fill A GROWLER TO GO!

Visit the Growler F at the Legen 711 1st Ave N - Great Falls (406) 727-8183 - 10:00AM - 2:00AM

Blackfoot River Brewing | 406-449-3005 66 S. Park Ave., Helena blackfootriverbrewing.com Butte Brewing | 406-491-5980 465 East Galena St., Butte facebook.com/buttebrewing Elk Ridge Brewing Company | 406-560-2252 320 N. Main St., Deer Lodge elkridgebrewingcompany.com Lewis and Clark Brewing | 406-442-5960 1517 Dodge Ave., Helena lewisandclarkbrewing.com

The Front Brewing Company | 406-727-3947 215 3rd St. NW, Great Falls thefrontbrewing.com Triple Dog Brewing | 406-879-8103 675 1st St. West, Havre facebook.com/brewon2

5

Glasgow

AREA 4 - Yellowstone Country

Wolf Point

Sidney

2 Basset Brewery | 406-547-BEER 202 E. Main, White Sulphur Springs 2bassetbrewery.com 406 Brewing Co. | 406-585-3745 101 East Oak, Suite D, Bozeman 406brewing.com Bar 3 BBQ & Brewing | 406-388-9182 100 S Broadway, Belgrade bar3bbq.com

Glendive Wibaux

6

Beehive Basin Brewery | 406-995-7444 245 Town Center Ave., Big Sky beehivebasinbrewery.com Bozeman Brewing Company | 406-585-9142 504 N. Broadway, Bozeman bozemanbrewing.com

Miles City

Bridger Brewing | 406-587-2124 1609 South 11th Ave., Bozeman bridgerbrewing.com Bunkhouse Brewery | 406-577-2074 1216 W. Lincoln St., Bozeman bunkhousebrewery.com Gally’s Brewing | 406-208-8256 32 South Central, Harlowton facebook.com/gallysbrewingco Opening Soon

Filling Station ndary . . .

Ruby Valley Brew | 406-842 5977 111 S Main St., Sheridan facebook.com/RubyValleyBrew

Katabatic Brewing Company | 406-333-2855 117 West Park St., Livingston katabaticbrewing.com

Smelter City Brewing | 406-490-5914 101 Main St., Anaconda facebook.com/Smelter-City-Brewing

Lone Peak Brewery | 406-995-3939 48 Market Place, Big Sky lonepeakbrewery.com

Snow Hop Brewery | 406-439-7045 685 Barney Drive, Helena facebook.com/snowhopbrewery Opening Soon

Madison River Brewing Co | 406-599-3429 20900 Frontage Rd., Building B, Belgrade madisonriverbrewing.com

Ten Mile Creek Brewery | 406-231-0575 48 N. Last Chance Gulch, Helena facebook.com/TenMileCreekBrewery

AREA 3 - Central Montana Black Eagle Brewery | 406-868-1866 1602 25th Ave. NE, Black Eagle pitstopblackeagle.com

Muddy Creek Brewery | 406-299-3645 2 E. Galena St., Butte facebook.com/muddycreekbrewery

Cut Bank Creek Brewery | 406-229-0298 315 East Rail Road, Cut Bank cutbankcreekbrewery.com

Philipsburg Brewing PB #1 | 406-859-2739 101 W. Broadway, Philipsburg PB #2/ Silver Springs Brewery & Tasting Room | 406-859-3226 106 Brewery Road, Philipsburg, philipsburgbrewingcompany.com

Harvest Moon Brewery | 406-277-3188 7 Fifth Street South, Belt harvestmoonbrew.com

Quarry Brewing | 406-723-0245 124 W. Broadway, Butte wedig.beer

Mighty Mo Brewing | 406-952-0342 412 Central Ave., Great Falls mightymobrewing.com Old Station Brewing Co. | 406-262-3105 140 First St., Havre oldstationbrewing.com Opening Fall 2017

Map Brewing Company | 406-587-4070 510 Manley Road, Bozeman mapbrewing.com Mountains Walking Brewery | 415-786-4205 808 Avocado St., Bozeman mountainswalking.com Opening August 2017 Neptune’s Brewery | 406-222-7837 119 North L St., Livingston neptunesbrewery.com Outlaw Brewing | 406-577-2403 2876 North 27th Ave., Bozeman outlaw-brewing.com Red Lodge Ales | 406-446-4607 1445 North Broadway, Red Lodge redlodgeales.com White Dog Brewing Co | 406-992-5798 121 W. Main St., Unit B, Bozeman whitedogbrewing.com

AREA 5 - Missouri River Country Blue Ridge Brewing | 406-672-2686 320 S 1st Street East, Malta facebook.com/blueridgebrewing.mt Opening Soon Busted Knuckle Brewery | 406-228-2277 303 1st Avenue South, Glasgow facebook.com/bustedknucklebrew Meadowlark Brewing | 406-433-2337 117 S. Central Ave., Sidney meadowlarkbrewing.com Missouri Breaks Brewing | 406-653-1467 326 Main, Wolf Point missouribreaksbrewing.com

AREA 6 - Southeast Montana Angry Hank’s Microbrewery | 406-252-3370 20 N 30th St., Billings facebook.com/angryhanks Beaver Creek Brewery | 406-795-2337 104 Orgain Ave. W., Wibaux beavercreekbrewery.com Canyon Creek Brewing | 406-656-2528 3060 Gabel Road, Billings canyoncreekbrewing.com Carter’s Brewing | 406-252-0663 2526 Montana Ave., Billings cartersbrewing.com Cross Country Brewing | 406-377-6912 320 E. Allard, Glendive facebook.com/xcbrews High Plains Brewing | 406-633-4594 601 E Main St., Laurel facebook.com/highplainsbrewing Last Chance Pub & Cider Mill | 406-534-8918 2203 Montana Ave., Billings lastchancecider.com Montana Brewing Co | 406-252-9200 113 N. Broadway, Billings montanabrewingcompany.com Old Skool Brewery | 406-690-5034 115 E Montana Ave., Baker facebook.com/oldskoolbrew Thirsty Street Brewing Co. | 406-969-3200 3008 1st Avenue N., Billings thirstystreet.com TiltWürks | 406- 874-8458 420 Pacific Ave., Miles City milescitybrewery.com Überbrew | 406-534-6960 2305 Montana Ave., Billings uberbrewmt.com White City Brewing | 406-998-9521 113 Main St., Lavina facebook.com/whitecitybrewing Opening September 2017! (Tentative) Yellowstone Valley Brewing | 406-245-0918 2123 B 1st Avenue N., Billings yellowstonevalleybrew.com

Visit 406Hops.com for this full list with direct links to each taproom. Do you know of any breweries starting up, let us know.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK • WWW.406HOPS.COM • 406-850-5113 • PAGE 11

MT BEER Festivals/Brewfests and Special Event Party Miles City . . . . . . . . . . . Rock’n MC Brewfest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August 5 Kalispell . . . . . . . . . . . . Great Bear Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August 5 Helena . . . . . . . . . . . . . Montana Brewers Summer Rendezvous . . . . . . August 12 Missoula . . . . . . . . . . . . Bayern Brewery 30 Year Anniversary Party . . . . August 19 Havre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Havre Trails Summer Brewfest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August 26 Billings . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ales for Trails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 22 Missoula . . . . . . . . . . . . Montana Brewers Fall Rendezvous . . . . . . . . . . September 30 Glendive . . . . . . . . . . . . BBQ Competition and Brew Fest . . . . . . . . . . . . September 30 West Yellowstone . . . . Beer Fest in West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October 28

Kings Ace Hardware - 1551 Zimmerman Trail Road, Billings, MT 406-656-1446 • M-F 8am-8pm, Sat 8am-7pm, Sun 9am-6pm

LO UNGE & CASINO Billings newest, hottest casino and lounge!

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Central Montana’s go to store for Craft Beer & Wine

Sapphire Lounge and Casino and Sapphire Liquor Outlet 4010 Montana Sapphire Drive in Billings • (406) 894-2511

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MT Homebrewer ClubS BILLINGS

Rimrock Brewers Guild <rimrock.brewers.guild@gmail.com>

BOZEMAN

Bridger Brew Crew <info@bridgerbrewcrew.org>

BUTTE

Mile High Mashers <homebrewoverlords@gmail.com>

COLSTRIP

Odd Fellow Homebrewers <oddfellowbrewers@gmail.com>

GREAT FALLS

Central Montana Homebrew Club <centralmontanahomebrew@gmail.com>

HAVRE

Hill County Homebrewers <facebook.com/hillcountyhomebrewers>

HELENA

High Mountain Hoppers <cookiedds@hotmail.com>

KALISPELL

Flathead Valley Brewers <flatheadvalleybrewers@yahoo.com>

Miles City

Rockin MC Home Brew Club <dstrong35@gmail.com>

MISSOULA

Zoo City Zymurgists <montanahomebrewers@gmail.com>

Email Treva@406Hops.com if you have a homebrewing club in MT and would like to be added to this list. Interested in supplying an article? Let us know what your club is brewing.

and Home Brewing Supply Headquarters

R BEE ING W BRE PLIES P SU

WIN MAK E EQU ING IPME NT

406-452-8065

105 Smelter Ave NE, Ste 111 - Great Falls, MT - Hours: 9:00AM-7:00PM, Mon.-Sat.

PAGE 12 • Volume 1/Issue #5 • A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MONTANA’S BREWING NEWS

Montana HOMEBREWING News Rockin’ MC Homebrew Competition This year will be the 3rd year that Miles City, MT will host a brewfest, however it is the inaugural year for the Rockin’ MC homebrew competition. A different organization ran the 2 previous festivals but decided not to do so in 2017. So both events are now sponsored by Milestown Community Improvement Inc. Member Dan Rice, whose wife keeps him on board as the Trails Inn Tap Haus beer advocate. Dan conceived the idea one night while polishing off a keg (duty calls) to make room for a new keg on the Trails Inn 40 tap selection. After this epiphany, he shared his idea with Shea Dawson, Thirsty Street Brewing Co. owner/brewer, and me.

My name is Dustin Strong and I’ve been a homebrewer for 5 years and will be brewing batches 157 and 158 in July. Discovering brewing was a watershed moment in my life, combining my love for science, art, and things that taste good into one convenient activity. I was caught hook, line, and sinker when I tried a good friend’s Double IPA, dubbed Hoptopia. I can still feel the resin sticking to my tongue. Other than drinking the

beer I make I also enjoy pairing batches with food and most of all sharing with others.

Homebrewing in Miles City has a colored history. There have been a number of different clubs that have waxed and waned with the popularity of homebrewing. Currently, the Miles City Homebrewers Club meets the first Monday of every month at 6pm at the Trails Inn Taphaus.

Meetings are very informal since we are just getting our feet under us; I encourage anyone in the area who is interested to join us!

A few things to keep in mind when you embark on that first batch of beer: 1) cleaning and sanitizing your equipment is the most important part of your brew day; nobody likes beer that tastes like vomit. 2) pitch enough yeast for a healthy fermentation; there are a number of online calculators that will help you understand yeast pitching rates. 3) if you are brewing an ale (which I recommend for your first few batches) try to keep the temperature of the fermenter between 64-68°F; this will allow your yeast the optimal

The Zoo City Zymurgists . . . . . . was started by Bjorn Nabozney and Brad Robinson from Big Sky Brewing and Jim Lueders of Wildwood Brewery in the early 1990s. The club was formed to host a brewfest at Caras Park in downtown Missoula. The club logo has changed over the years but the club has maintained a group of dedicated club members who enjoy brewing beer and supporting the craft beer industry. Zoo City Zymurgists has about 35 due-paying members ($10 / yr ) and 350+ followers on Facebook.

The Zoo City Zymurgists hosts a few homebrewing competitions each year in Missoula. The last competition was in late May in collaboration with Great Burn Brewing, the winning beer (a pineapple wheat) should be on tap at the brewery in August. The club meets on a monthly basis (often on the weekends) – rotating the meetings among members who are willing to host. The club hosts a few events other than monthly meetings and competitions – a Christmas party and summer camp out. In the past, they’ve rented a bus and taken brewery tours.

Continuing education is definitely a constant with the club. It may be something as informal as bringing one’s homebrew to a club meeting and asking for feedback. ZCZ treats their competitions as learning opportunities as well, both for the judges and the entrants. For example, most beers are judged ‘blind’ (i.e. the brewer is not known) and the judge is simply evaluating that beer against a standard set of criteria for aroma, flavor, appearance, etc. The club provides each entrant with a score sheet that evaluates their beer. Zoo City Zymurgists has hosted beer judging and sensory evaluation classes in the past. Since some of the club members have amazing palates, it’s always a great learning experience to listen to them evaluate a beer.

406 Hops Brewing News talked to Jeff Shearer of the Zoo City Zymurgists and picked his brain with a few questions: Why/how did you start home brewing?

I started homebrewing in 2007. I had been drinking craft beer prior to that time but didn’t know much about the industry. Moose Drool was actually the first craft beer I recall drinking while going to school in the Midwest. I had a friend who gave me a couple bottles of homebrew and that piqued my interest. In 2007 I moved to Anchorage, AK. That town had a strong craft beer scene and a large, active homebrew club (the Great Northern Brewers Club). I had always been interested in gardening, BBQing/smoking meats, wood working, etc. All hands-on activities where you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Homebrewing was a natural fit to that list of hobbies. Once I got involved in the homebrew club things really took off.

How has home brewing changed since you started?

Wow, where to start on this one? I like to think homebrewing has closely mirrored the craft beer industry. Ten years ago, we had less than half the number of breweries we do today….? That industry continues to climb and homebrewing seems to have kept pace. When I started out there were a few good online resources about the hobby and some classic books. Today information is so much more readily available. Books, magazines, websites, podcasts, you name it. The number of online stores makes it easy for anyone to get ingredients in all 50 states. As the hobby grows and more people get involved, more ideas are shared, research and technology is further developed, more resources become available, and the hobby gains more recognition. It really does have a synergistic effect.

The variety of ingredients, especially hops, has exploded worldwide. It wasn’t that long ago that the U.S. and

working conditions, ensuring your beer attenuates well and does not develop off-flavors. For your first beer I recommend something simple, such as American Pale Ale or Dry Irish Stout.

One of the many benefits of homebrewing is that you can brew brewery fresh examples of beers not native to the place you live. Belgian Pale Ales, Ordinary Bitters, Czech Pilsners, and Doppelbocks are amazing beers that are not readily available to everyone in the United States, and almost no one in the U.S. gets brewery fresh examples of these styles. As homebrewers we can source the ingredients for all of these styles and understand how these beers taste when they aren’t subjected to a long boat ride and temperature fluctuations.

I suggest checking out Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer’s book Brewing Classic Styles if you like to color inside the lines. If you like breaking rules and challenging the status quo, check out Randy Mosher’s Radical Brewing. Want to brew a hibiscus honey saison? How about adding 5 pounds of peaches to an IPA? Mosher’s book will help you channel your efforts into a truly unique beer.

If you enjoy beer, there’s a fair chance you would

enjoy homebrewing. If you are on the fence about homebrewing, find a friend or friend of a friend to hang out with while they brew. Homebrewers tend to be very open to showing other people how to brew. If you find one who isn’t, keep searching!

By hanging out with other brewers you will gain insight into why your favorite commercial IPA smells like tangerines or why a stout can taste like coffee and pipe tobacco. My number one recommendation for beginner homebrewing books is John Palmer’s How To Brew. Palmer is a huge brewing nerd and does a great job of walking you through your first brew day and familiarizing you with brewing lingo and ingredients. If podcasts are something you enjoy, check out the Brewing Network. The last great resource I will give you is the American Homebrewers Association. Every homebrewer should be a member, the AHA works hard for homebrewers and their is website if jam packed with valuable information. Additionally, your membership fee gets you 8 issues a year of Zymurgy magazine, the best homebrewing magazine out there.

(— Article by Dustin Strong)

Germany were pretty much the only two sources for hops. Now Australia, New Zealand, South America, and Africa are growing and shipping hops around the globe. The styles of beer being brewed keeps growing. When I started, an IPA was an IPA. Now you can find IPAs of every color, double / imperial IPAs, session IPAs, IPAs characterized by a region (e.g. west coast and New England), even India Pale Lagers. Not that long ago no one was brewing sour beers, now there are homebrewers and craft breweries alike specializing in them. There seems to be a resurgence in ‘historic’ styles as well, such as Gose, Kentucky Common, and Pre-Prohibition Lager. In the early to mid-2000’s few people probably knew what a meadery was. Now mead (honey wine) can be found in most bottle / wine shops. Look at the explosion of places making cider. We have four in the Missoula / Bitterroot area alone. I’m excited to see what the next 10 years will bring.

Why should others who are interested in beer take up home brewing? Include great resources for getting started.

Do not get into the hobby thinking you’ll save money! Ha! There’s a sense of satisfaction in enjoying and sharing something you made yourself. Homebrewing beer, mead, cider, wine, or kombucha fits right in with that. Being a homebrewer does not mean you stop buying beer at the store or visiting local breweries. Quite the opposite. It will give you a greater appreciation for the crafting of what you do buy. It brings you closer to something you enjoy.

There are a ton of great resources out there. One website I’d suggest for those starting out is the American Homebrewers Association website. Ya ou’ll find a wealth of information at that site. A couple books every homebrewer should have on his/her shelf include The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian (considered the godfather of homebrewing), How to Brew by John Palmer (maybe the best single source on the science / technical aspects of the hobby), and Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer (a great recipe book by two giants in the hobby).

Don’t forget your local homebrew club. You’ll find fellow homebrewers of every skill level more than willing to help you out. Lastly, but far from least, stop by your local homebrew supply store.

What is the number one mistake that new home brewers make? How can it be avoided?

One common mistake I see new homebrewers make after they have a few batches under their belt is to worry about small details and ignore big factors that really make a difference in the quality of how the beer will turn out.

Homebrewers are notorious for constantly changing and modifying their equipment, and some changes can improve your beer. But equipment setup is secondary to really understanding the brewing process and how it impacts the end result. Another common urge homebrewers may feel is the need to modify their water chemistry to mimic a region of the world famous for a certain beer style (such as Pilsen, Germany for Pilsners, or Burton on Trent, UK for English Pale Ales). All the while they’ll ignore two of the biggest factors that can dictate the quality of their beer more than anything else: controlling fermentation temperatures and pitching the proper amount of healthy yeast. It’s easy to get caught up in constantly tweaking recipes, it’s what homebrewers do. But embracing the golden rule of homebrewing (cleanliness is next to godliness), controlling fermentation temperatures, and understanding yeast health will go much farther to ensuring a great beer than anything else.

What kind of beer do you recommend for a first-time brewer?

This might be one of the more daunting decisions a new homebrewer must make. There are so many styles to choose from and everyone has their own favorite style they’d eventually like to brew. General advice for new homebrewers would be to stay away from brewing lagers or high gravity (i.e. high alcohol) beers until you get a bit of experience. For various reasons those beers can be a bit more challenging to brew well. Luckily that still leaves you with countless other options. My advice would be to try a pale ale, blonde ale, brown ale, Irish red ale, oatmeal stout, or a porter, something along thoselines. It’s far more important learning the basics and process than perfecting a recipe when starting out.

(— Article by Vince Grewe)

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A Family-Friendly, Fun and Relaxed Experience McAdams, a good friend of both Gregg and Chris for over a decade, happens to be a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering with a specialty in fermentation.

After a year of the founders’ families working hard on preparing the brewery and taproom space, Muddy Creek Brewery opened its doors on February 27, 2015. Since that time, they have created over 30 beers, 3 sodas, and a cold brewed coffee. To date, Muddy Creek Brewery has won 11 awards for their unique and innovative brews.

Muddy Creek Brewery was built on a conservative budget with the founder’s families providing much of the needed support to keep operations running smoothly. Since opening, the owners have made continual improvements in equipment, process, and products.

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Of special mention: Black Ice (blackberry pale ale) Always a popular summer Beer, Muddy Creek often gets grumbled at by customers for not having it on tap. This beer requires a tremendous amount of fresh blackberries which they puree and process in house and add to the beer in secondary in stages to add both flavor and aroma to the beer.

Sunburn Habanero I.P.A. - One of Muddy Creek’s most popular beers is made with their own habanero extract and added to their Skinny Cow I.P.A. Originally this pepper beer was made as a “Birthday gift” for Chris Sherman and it was so immediately popular among the taproom customers that they just had to keep brewing it.

Butte is truly one of Montana’s most fascinating places. Many don’t realize the tremendous impact Butte has had on American history. One of the “lesser known” Copper Kings caused a stock market crash that lead to the Federal Reserve being created. Butte features 3 breweries as well as a world class distillery all within about 10 blocks of one another.

Butte attractions include the world museum of mining, the underground city tours, the mining tours, several extraordinary restaurants, new and renovated hotel accommodations, the Montana Folk Festival, Evel Knieval Days, The Irish Festival as well as the 4th of July festivities. And that doesn’t even get us into the world famous (or infamous depending on your point of view) St. Paddy’s day festivities.

But beyond all of that, Butte is an amazing town full of wonderful, inviting people – like the ones you can meet at Muddy Creek or any number of other places in town. And we’d love to have you come visit and learn what we’re about and see that we’re not nearly as rough and tumble as the reputation that proceeds us.

(— Article by Vince Grewe)

Beer and cheese are a classic pair. Cicerone staff sampled through a table full of both and found some that we think worked well together. While these are a few of our favorites, they aren’t the final word on cheese and beer—try some pairings and find out which ones you like best!

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Their unique brews include: Ornery Goat (American Pale Ale) TreeShaker (Fruit Beer) Streamside (American Wheat or Rye) Mandarin Tango (Fruit Beer) Dirty Blonde (Blonde Ale) Blue Sky Blonde (Blueberry) Ry Dog Red IPA (India Pale Ale) Storm the Door (Brown Porter) >He Can’t Stop Us All!!!!

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A home brewer that makes excellent beer, a guy with some tried entrepreneurial experience, and a specialist in the chemistry of how to build better beer walk into a bar and say, “Hey! Let’s build a brewery!” ……and Muddy Creek Brewery in Butte was born.

OK…maybe that’s not how it really happened!

Gregg Wigen started home brewing about 13 years ago. As his beer grew in popularity among friends and factions around Butte, many suggested that a brewery should be in the works.

Christopher Sherman, a very close friend with Gregg for over 37 years, was also interested in the concept of a brewery. Prior to the Muddy Creek Brewery venture, Chris has started three software companies, one of which was with Gregg. Todd

Muddy Creek’s product goal has always been to create beer that satisfies both the sophisticated taste of the craft beer aficionado as well as those that have little or no exposure to craft beer.

The taproom, which features between 6 and 14 beers at any given time, was designed to provide a family-friendly, fun and relaxed experience where people feel free to enjoy great beer and the company of those around them. Muddy Creek prides itself on customer service, and the customers seem to reflect that ideal.

Besides their taproom, their two flagships - Muddy Creek Chocolate Stout and Blue Sky (blueberry) Ale – are available in fine establishments located in Butte, Anaconda, Missoula, Helena, Deer Lodge, Bozeman and Stevensville currently.

While the mission statement for Muddy Creek was always to make beer that was enjoyable for both craft beer aficionados as well as people who typically enjoy standard American lagers like Coors and Budweiser, they tend to create beers that are relatively malty. They use five different yeast varieties in their core products. This gives Muddy Creek a very unique degree of variety in their offerings all presenting something unique to the palate.

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PAGE 14 • Volume 1/Issue #5 • A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MONTANA’S BREWING NEWS

American Pale ale

Doppelbock

Tour de GNB The Great Northern Brewing Company was founded in 1994

by Minott Wessinger, whose family owned the Portland based Blitz-Weinhard Brewery when he was growing up. The first beer to be sold at Great Northern Brewing was sold in 1995. Minott, a marketing executive who is based in San Francisco, is the great-great grandson of Henry Weinhard. He originally built the brewery to produce his lager brand Black Star, but wound up selling it in 2002 so he could focus on other projects. In 2002, they discontinued brewing Black Star and expanded the Great Northern Brands lineup.

The gorgeous location of the brewery was chosen for its pristine water source and the stunning beauty of the area. Standing at 3 stories,

it is the tallest building in Whitefish. Great Northern currently employs 11 beer production workers and managers, 2 full time sales representatives, and “a bunch of bartenders”. According to Joe Barberis, Head Brewer, about 6,500 barrels are produced per year. They employ a gravityflow brewing system.

Joe feels the styles of beer most interesting and fun to brew are the ones requiring the most work and that the easier beers can decidedly be the most technically challenging. When asked how many different beers have been created at Great Northern so far, the answer was “dozens and dozens”! Joe says the brewers always have their eyes and taste buds open when it comes to deciding on new recipes to try. If cost, production,

and sales were of no regard, Joe would most like to brew Wild Huckleberry Sour Lambic.

Four of Great Northern’s staple brands can be found in bottled 6-packs and kegs, and they also have 2 other year-round draft only brands.

Production also includes 12 or more seasonal, special, or rotating draft-only beers per year. The brewery is considering canning some of their creations in 2018. Great Northern Brewing beers can be found in all of Montana and Idaho, Eastern Washington, and a few select locations throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, and Ohio.

In regards to measures the brewery takes to remain environmentally friendly, they are working on expansion plans and energy efficiency will figure greatly into any equipment upgrades to be made. The brewery recycles, minimizes water usage, and is very conscious about what is put down the drain.

When asked if working at a brewery was different than he expected it would be, Joe, who has been brewing for 20 years, says that most of a brewers average work day is spent cleaning and sanitizing equipment as opposed to actually brewing. Spring and summer seasons are apparently “insanely busy and can be stressful”.

He feels he spends a lot more time than he should fixing and maintaining equipment, although that is a necessary evil in the industry for any brewer.

One cannot brew properly with faulty equipment!

(— Article by Lynne Jourdonnais) EDITORS NOTE: Why Great Northern Is A GREAT Destination.

Well the beer is SUPERB, but that’s not all.

Having experienced Great Northern personally I suggest to plan on spending 2 to 4 hours at least, at Great Northern. Their offerings are many, from the moment, you walk in you are cheerfully greeted by many personable polished employees,

all flawlessly execute their tasks with a degree of excellence! Employees such as Jessica Lucey. In my past position as sales representative I worked for Jessica Lucey, via email and phone for a couple of items sold on sight at their retail shop. Jessica is Great Northern’s Retail and Marketing Manager, she is witty, funny and especially knowledgeable about everything shwag. She inventories, orders and coordinates an unbelievable array of useful and trend setting items! One cannot walk out without purchasing decals, glasses, growlers, T’s, even sunglasses.

Ahhh, back to the experience… Tours of the brewery and interior of the architecturally sharp building are available at 3 pm every day, the cost is 5 dollars and you receive a glass for samples.

You will explore just about every nook and cranny, and view how the entire operation from start to finish is executed. Jordan Brown manages the Draught House, she has been employed with Great Northern for three years and is now the Draught House manager, implementing the whole enchilada!

Speaking of food, if you are hungry after the tour and the wearing down of the magnetic strip on your credit card as I did at the retail store, the food experience is fantastic too! We chose to head upstairs which offers glorious views of Whitefish Mountain. Check out their menu at their website to see all the tasty choices or indulge on the Bighorn Nachos, a whopping plate of yum! The secret recipe dish is from Great Northern’s own General Manager Marcus Duffy, who just happens to hail from TEXAS! Whether you are traveling in the area to explore Glacier or the Flathead, ski Whitefish Mountain, or the many other thousands of activities in Northwest Montana, Great Northern is one heck of an experience from brews to views, not to pass up!

What is a Cicerone?

The word Cicerone (sis-uh-rohn) designates hospitality professionals with proven experience in selecting, acquiring, and serving today’s wide range of beers. To claim the title of Cicerone, one must earn the trademarked title of Certified Cicerone® or hold higher certification as Advanced CiceroneTM or Master Cicerone®. Those with a basic level of expertise gain recognition by earning the first-level title Certified Beer Server.

Cicerone Certification Levels To allow participation by those with various interests and experience, the Cicerone Certification Program offers four levels of certification beginning with the simplest and progressing to the most complex and demanding.

LEVEL 1 - Certified Beer Server • First-level certification for those who work with beer.

LEVEL 2 - Certified Cicerone • Certification for professionals dedicated to beer.

LEVEL 3 - Advanced Cicerone • A designation of distinctive expertise and tasting skill.

LEVEL 4 - Master Cicerone • The ultimate test of beer expertise.

For more info visit www.cicerone.org

Innovative, easy to use app - 406 HOPS Brewing News endorsed.

We have used PINTPASS to send our writers and friends complimentary pints in our home town and across the state!

Send AND receive craft brews redeemable at many Montana Breweries. TRY IT TODAY! www.pintpass.com LIKE US ON FACEBOOK • WWW.406HOPS.COM • 406-850-5113 • PAGE 15

Celebrating W O M E N in Brewing

Thirsty Street’s Jill Dawson on Brewery Ownership Thirsty Street Brewing Co. has been up and running for almost a year and a half, and has gained a great local following and reputation. The beer is top notch, and covers a wide variety of styles. The taproom is fun and family friendly, well lit, and comfortable. The space is outfitted with darts, shuffleboard and a pool table for patrons to make use of, as well as a nice outdoor patio space. There is live music weekly, and a variety of food trucks scheduled to provide good eats along with the great beer made on site. Running an operation successfully as a new startup business is a lot of work, and Jill Dawson is the driving force behind all of it.

Jill and her husband Shea opened Thirsty Street Brewing Co. in February of 2016. The duo established their brewery in the space which used to house the Himmelberger brewery in years past, and made a variety of improvements to the taproom and beer production setup.

The division of labor between Jill and Shea, in my observation, is as follows: Shea roams the back of the brewery in his muck boots, like a mad scientist, creating exceptional beer; Jill does everything else. Perhaps that is an oversimplification. Truth be told, in conversations with either Jill or Shea, they both speak very highly of the other, and as to the importance and value the other provides to the overall operation of the brewery.

Shea has recently divided the brewery into two sections; a clean fermenting room for most beer styles; and a more experimental section which is used for fermenting and aging sour beers - a style which Shea has jumped into heavily over the past 8 or 9 months. He has also begun barrel aging a number of beers (several of which have been released on tap and in bottles), and is acquiring more barrels all the time for this purpose.

Jill collaborates with Shea on beer production and ideas; runs the business affairs and management of staff; heads up social media and marketing; organizes events at the brewery, to include “Brews & Brushes” events, which are painting classes at the brewery led by a local artist; “Brewga,” which is a beer friendly yoga class, typically held on the brewery patio; as well as coordinating live music, attendance at fundraiser events and benefits, coordinating festival attendance, and other business and ownership/ management tasks.

Jill notes that the addition of a “beer and wine” license to the taproom has expanded the appeal of their location, both in hours and variety. Something between 5-10% of the brewery’s sales are coming from wine, which is offered in bottles or on tap. Wine on tap is a new phenomenon, which reduces waste

(bottles/boxes/etc.), and ensures that wine stays fresh in a keg, glass after glass. With the addition of the beer and wine license also came an expansion of hours, and you can enjoy a Thirsty Street brew after the typical 8:00pm last call at other breweries.

You can almost always take beer “to go” from any brewery you stop at, but Thirsty Street is one of the few which bottle their offerings so that you can take them with you without worrying about quick consumption, and you can even let them age for a few months before opening. Many of the sour beer and barrel aged beer offerings are bottled on site and offered in corked 750ml bombers. All of the bottled beers have fun labeling, which Jill designs herself.

Beer naming is typically a collaboration between Jill and Shea, and sometimes some friends, over a glass of a new and unnamed beer. A few great names which jump out at me include the “Dubbel Trubbel” Belgian Dubbel; the Cherry B.A.D.A.S.S. (barrel aged double american sour stout); and the “Goud Times” Belgian Blonde.

Brewery apparel at TSBC is always top notch, with one of Jill and Shea’s college buddies assisting in design work and production. The brewery offers a variety of hats and shirts, all of which have cool and unique designs.

On the topic of brewery ownership and management struggles, Jill notes the same issue which many young business owners face, being the balance of family and business; and childcare. The Dawsons note that they are lucky to have family in town to assist with childcare when needed, and, if you happen to be by the brewery during non-business hours, it isn’t unusual to see Jill and Shea’s two year old twin daughters hanging out with mom and dad on the premises.

According to Jill, Billings has been a very friendly place to breweries and the downtown brewery district. She indicates that there is a hop vine fence in the works along the railroad tracks behind the Depot, which will have sections of hops for the various local breweries, which is something that she is excited to see coming together.

With Billings becoming an established beer tourism destination, it is exciting to see the immediate success which Thirsty Street Brewing Co. has seen under Jill Dawson’s ownership, management, and vision; as well as the diversity which TSBC brings to the Billings brewery district.

(— Article by Dan Rice, Photos: Carson Rose)

Madam of Bonsai - Keela Smith

to cost, time, production, or sales, she would brew sherry cask aged barley wine.

Keela admits to consuming anywhere from not enough to too much beer in any given average work day, and her favorite styles of beer are barrel aged IPA’s, barrel aged sours, and a fresh & balanced pale ale. Other than Bonsai Brewing Projects creations, her favorites to drink come from Philipsburg Brewing Company, HA Brewing, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, North Coast Brewery, Russian River Brewing, and WHISKEY!!!

The brewery boasts a full menu of delicious, house made offerings, including house smoked meats. When asked if working at a brewery is different than she thought it’d be, Keela mentioned that it is much more community oriented and social than she thought it would be.

She feels that the employees and patrons are just one big family! “At Bonsai, we’re laid back. We like

Bonsai Brewing Project, according to Keela Smith (self proclaimed Madam of Bonsai), was born out of home brewing, block parties, and a love of beer and entertaining taken to the next level. That’s a pretty big next level! Keela says, “We’ll always keep it fresh and we’ll always keep it fun!” The brewery is staffed with 10 “locally grown organic people.”

Keela most enjoys brewing barrel aged beers because “you just throw it in a barrel and forget about it!” About 500 barrels a year are produced at the brewery and they usually have 10 beers on tap at a time. They have created close to 100 different styles of beer since the brewery began. Keela says what is unique about their beer is that “we bring the fun.” Bonsai’s brewers add unique ingredients

to their creations in the form of honey, rhubarb, peppers, ginger, herbs, black pepper, and oyster shells (coming soon).

Bonsai Brewing Project, located in Whitefish, doesn’t currently bottle or can any of their beers and are undecided at this time if they will have a production facility to do so in the near or distant future. In addition to enjoying a freshly poured cold beer in the tap room, you can also find their beers around Whitefish at Buffalo Café, Mama Blanca’s, Tupelo, Last Chair, and a few more locations.

Although Keela claims she is the madam and not the brewer, she states she comes up with new flavor ideas while sipping on gin & juice. If she could create any beer she wanted without regard

PAGE 16 • Volume 1/Issue #5 • A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MONTANA’S BREWING NEWS

to make fresh, fine ales, and bomb-ass food. We’re down with good music and kind people. Come stay awhile and make some friends!”

If you are looking to make Whitefish a destination, the town is close to wonderful Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake. It is home to Whitefish Mountain Resort, and Whitefish Lake (a spectacular alpine lake with the ever popular Whitefish City Beach). In any given season, there is a plethora of activity to be found in the form of hiking, mountain biking, golf, horseback riding, kayaking, rafting, fishing, farmers markets, local theater, live music, water and snow skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, skiing, sleigh rides, ice skating, wildlife viewing, and cross country skiing. Sounds like my kind of place…. heck, anyone’s kind of place!

(— Article by Lynne Jourdonnais)

Ruby Valley Brewing’s Amanda LaYacona Nestled in the heart of the Ruby River Valley which is surrounded by 7 different mountain ranges, you will find Sheridan, Montana’s newest jewel, Ruby River Brew, which opened June 4th of this year. The brewery’s owner Amanda LaYacona is very excited not only about her new adventure as a brewery owner, but that she was able to bring something in that could be a community gathering place in the town she and her husband have grown to love. Although Amanda’s husband helped her out with the brewery in every way imaginable from conception to fruition, she is the owner and operator of the establishment. They did most of the work on the brewery themselves.

She is adamant that the brewery would not have happened without his dedication to help her see it come to life.

In addition to both Amanda and her husband loving beer and the town of Sheridan, they love

the community of people within that town and the beautiful valley in which it is situated. She wanted to give folks a social environment in which to gather, and to give travelers another reason to stop and rest awhile.

And for those choosing to stay more than just a short while, there is indeed a lot to do in the area. Both Nevada City and Virginia City are just a stone’s throw away. Visitors to the area can also search for garnets at Ruby Reservoir, visit Nevada City Museum, or take a day trip with staff from Fish Tales Outfitting. The plethora of mountains surrounding the area certainly are an outdoor enthusiasts dream lending themselves to hiking, off-road vehicles, hunting, camping, fishing, backpacking, and opportunities to cool off in a number of lakes. In Amanda’s opinion, “not far past the Reservoir, the Gravelly Range Road in the upper Ruby is one of the most beautiful drives in

Montana. The wildflowers are stunning! Oh! And did I mention the fishing? We have some of the best rivers that one can fish in the US.” As for the brewery itself, the brew house and tap room are housed in Sheridan proper. They currently are running a rather small scale brew house, but have plans to build a bigger one on a vacant lot behind the brewery in about a year.

At some point, they will figure out a way to tie it, the brick building that already existed on the property, and the current brewery/tap house all together into one large facility. The brewery is currently operated by four employees. Amanda herself is involved in every aspect of the business, including serving, as she wants to be aware of how every piece of the brewery is key to running one successful business. The master brewer, Zach Shaw, comes to Ruby Valley Brew with 30 years of prior experience in brewing. He got his start in brewing out of northern California, and per Amanda, “knows how to make really good beer!”

There are also two part time servers who are very personable and who are great at meeting and greeting the customers.

Some of the brews Ruby Valley Brew currently has on tap are: 3-7-77 Kolsch, 1866 Red Wheat,

Mad. Cou. “Heifer” Weizen, Pale Ale, Stinking Water IPA, Road Agent Rye, Boot Bandit Brown, All Day Summer IPA, and Farmhouse Ale. Their Kolsch is their #1 seller. The goal is to have 13 varieties on tap at once. In addition to their own tap room, their beer can be found at Brewery Follies in Virginia City. Ruby Valley Brew currently runs two four barrel fermenters and two two and a half barrel fermenters. In Amanda’s words, the brew capacity is currently “itty bitty”. They do eventually have plans for a production facility, but are new enough that they want to figure out what is selling first, build the bigger brew house, and then will consider a canning line. The spent grains from the brewery are given to Montana Cross Farms, a local pig farm, as feed.

Amanda’s favorite beer is “the beer currently in my hand.” She says she has never been much of an IPA fan, but since opening the brewery has forced herself to try them to explore what all of the hype is about. She is still not a fan. Her favorite variety is pale ales. Her favorite hops are the mosaics.

The crew at Ruby Valley Brew would love it if you would come and check out their new venture!

(— Article by Lynne Jourdonnais)

Kat·a·bat·ic (kăt′ə-băt′ĭk) adj. Of or relating to the downward flow of cold dense air: a katabatic wind LaNette Jones and her husband, Brice, opened Katabatic Brewing in September of 2014, in Montana’s windiest corridor… Livingston, Montana. Hence, the name “Katabatic.” LaNette, who is a former social worker, wanted to ensure that her taproom was a “community space” - welcoming to all, and family friendly; and this was accomplished, in part, by a major renovation to their historic building. The renovations converted the tired old building into a fresh space with a clean and open atmosphere; a large glass storefront which includes an overhead door, creating an inviting indoor/outdoor feel within the taproom; plenty of seating; and an inviting, cozy environment.

Brice, who is a former wildland firefighter and smokejumper, was a long time home brewer; and LaNette a long time beer enthusiast. Shortly after the two were married, they decided that they wanted to go into business for themselves, and given their common love for beer, opening a brewery seemed to be a logical choice. The couple lived in Missoula at the time (which is flush with breweries), and their market research showed that Livingston, Montana was an underserved region. And so, they set out to establish their brewery in the heart of central Montana.

LaNette and Brice are both self identified “hop heads,” and tend to focus on big, bold, hoppy beers. To assist in carrying out their vision, the pair recruited Lynden Preuss, head brewer, formerly of Echo Brewing in Colorado. With Lynden at the helm, a 7 barrel brewery was installed, including 4 fermenters and 4 bright tanks. Katabatic has done nothing but grow since. The following year, a 20bbl fermenter and bright tank were added. Recently, a 15bbl system was installed. And from the beginning, the Katabatic crew has been making fantastic beer, and have gained a large taproom following. As forward thinking business owners, LaNette and Brice take their crew on an annual pilgrimage to various brewing regions around the country, to ensure that Katabatic is on the pulse of new beer trends around the nation.

LaNette notes that as a female brewery owner, she has found that the industry on whole is friendly

to, and accepting of, women in the brewery business. LaNette herself frequently attends brewfests and other events as the face of Katabatic, where her beer is well received both by her peers in the industry, and consumers alike. LaNette notes that many breweries have moved away from using sexy women for advertising, and have moved toward being family friendly and community oriented; which draws in more women (as there are a lot of women out there who love beer!); which in turns draws in more men.

In recent news, and in addition to their recent expansion, Katabatic has partnered with regional resort, Chico Hot Springs, to produce and release a collaboration beer called “Chico Hot Springs Amber,” which is available in cans. Also keep an eye out for Katabatic’s anniversary release beers each summer, which have included an Imperial Red and a Barrel Aged Scotch Ale (both of which I’ve had - both of which were amazing!).

If you’re traveling down the interstate and are passing Livingston, be sure to drop in and check out the Katabatic taproom - it’s an extremely well set up space, with top notch beer on tap; and feel free to bring your family with.

(— Article by Dan Rice)

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Great Gathering Place with Good Conversation and Excellent Libations The owners of Bozeman Brewing Company met back in 1986 at Yellowstone Park where they were both working that summer. Todd Scott and Lisa Danzl Scott, after vacationing together in Alaska, became inspired to live off the land as much as possible. They landed in the Tahoe area which is which is where Todd began home brewing with some borrowed equipment. It became readily

apparent that Todd had a knack for brewing, and this knack forever changed their plans of living off the grid. He and Lisa moved to Calistoga, California, where Todd refined his beer making skills at Calistoga Inn and Brewery while attending UC Davis to take classes on beer fermentation. Montana was calling them back though, and Todd landed a job at Spanish Peaks Brewery in Bozeman, where

he worked as head brewer for 10 years, while Lisa worked for the city. Spanish Peaks wound up moving their production to California and when that occurred, Todd and Lisa bought their used equipment and set up shop to bring their own creations that they had been perfecting over the years to the beautiful Gallatin Valley.

Doors opened in 2001 on the heels of their first child, Morgan. The flagship beer, Bozone Select Amber Ale, according to Tucker Kalbert (General Manager), was what built Bozeman Brewing Company into what it is today.

Bozeman Brewing Company serves five year round creations on draft and in cans, of which Bozone Select Amber Ale is one. The other four are Hopzone IPA, Gallatin Ale, Plum Street Porter, and Two O’clock Wheat. These five can be found on tap and are also canned. They have been canning for six years now and have also started to can their seasonal and limited release offerings. The year rounds and current seasonal, Abbreviated IPA (4.7% Session IPA), can be found up and down the I-90 corridor and in all the small communities in between. In addition to canning the six beers year around, they produced 6000 barrels of beer last year.

Most of the equipment purchased from Spanish Peaks Brewing has since been phased out over the years. The brewery is now running a 20 barrel AAA brew house. In addition, they have 20/40/60 barrel fermenters and a Cask canning line that puts out over a case per minute. They have spearheaded a barrel aged/sours line and are looking to fill their barrel cellar with these

aged creations. The start of this program was a sour cherry which they call Funky Virtue. Some consideration has even been lent to champagne cork and caged bottling of these beers. The brewers are looking to boost inventory of unique offerings in the near and distant future.

Bozeman Brewing Company, when replacing their equipment, looked to reduce their impact on our environment. The new brewing and canning systems may not have been the cheapest the company could find, but they feel strongly enough about reducing their footprint that for them it was ok to spend more on the equipment to reduce wear and tear on our resources. The success of this brewery allowed them the affordability of these choices, as well as adding a 46 Kwh solar array to the top of the brewery 3 years ago to offset one third of their energy consumption. They have also gone out of their way to make their products recyclable by canning instead of bottling and using unique 6 pack holders that can easily be recycled as well.

Per Tucker, who has worked for the company for the past twelve years in various positions and whom we interviewed for this article, Bozeman Brewing Company is a great gathering place with good conversation and excellent libations. He says the employees of the company like to work hard, but like to play harder. Personally, he is out fishing, golfing, and skiing whenever he can. From the sounds of it, he is passionate about his job and life in general! Now that’s a good way to live, and a good employee to have!

(— Article by Lynne Jourdonnais)

AUGUST 12

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FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.MONTANABREWERS.ORG PAGE 18 • Volume 1/Issue #5 • A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MONTANA’S BREWING NEWS

Keepin’ It Casual, Sort Of… Kyle Carlson is one normal dude. He is an adventurous outdoor enthusiast and his work ethic compliments the beer he brews. Kyle’s favorite style though, is IPAs. To say he is a HOP Head is truly an understatement. Kyle is the reigning 2016 Alpha King! For those of you who are not familiar with the title, Kyle and the stellar Tamarack brew crew won the annual competition competing with many, licensed commercial brewers. ALL hop-centric entries are judged then awarded the best hop based beer!

Kyle won for his 9.7% ABV – 85 IBU, Headwall Double IPA. The competition is held during the Great American Beer Festival® which is open to commercially licensed breweries throughout the United States. Kyle and

Tamarack will be giving up their crown in October, or will they?

Tamaracks Headwall IPA and Yard Sale Amber are canned on sight for distribution in the Flathead Valley, Canada, Missoula, and Butte. The popular Sip N’Go Naked Apricot Ale, and Bear Bottom Blonde, among other great styles, are on tap too. The Tamarack Gastropub Location in Missoula also serves the full line up.

For six years Kyle has been mastering his brews but due to rising popularity of the sour trend he has created quite a few creative sours. The summer lineup includes Tamaracks Raspberry Gose. The brewing process for this creation utilizes wort containing un-milled malts in muslin sacks. The tart character comes from inoculating Lactobacillus to the

kettle (think Greek Yogurt), then maintaining an environment of 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit, and a high-level pH of 3.3 is perfected. The remaining bacteria is then killed by boiling, locking in the sourness. Bittering hops are next, then coriander and sea salt to add the impression of body to the very dry mouthfeel. Fermented as normal with London yeast, raspberry puree is added directly to the Bright Tank.

The other unique sour is the Sour Cherry Scotch Ale. It starts with their scotch style ale which is poured into 3 or 4-year-old whiskey barrels, is then inoculated with Brettanomyces, Lactobalillus, and Pedococcus, and is aged. Kyle and crew then add cherries and sample the mixture until it is to their liking. It is a very creative, and palette pleasing process, indeed.

Tamarack in Western Montana is very popular, and that’s for good reason. Owners Andra and Josh Townsley are deeply rooted in the community,

committed to their employees and area events and fundraisers. Tamarack provides fundraising for local charities and nonprofits by donating 75 cents of every pint to the charity who is signed up for that Wednesday night. On top of the usual excitement for Tamarack and their brewpub they will be celebrating their 10-year anniversary this summer.

Tamarack is all about collaboration in their production. The brewery currently employs 4 full time employees and 2-part time employees. The part time employees do their part by keeping the canning line in sync on canning days. The 6 employees are more than just coworkers, however, and all of them are friends. They make sure that each of them are involved in contributing to new style choices and recipes. One even was inspired to remind the crew to brew a spruce tip style beer after a nature outing where the Spruce trees were in full bloom.

This collaboration gives Tamarack the ability and inspiration to utilize a 10-barrel system and produce 4500 barrels a year.

Beyond that collaboration within the company Tamarack also relies on Hop Collaboration; a concept where others from the area grow their own hops and gift them to the brewery to make unique and local style beers.

So, if you find yourself in the Flathead Valley, you can boat on the lake, hunt in the wilderness, or ski at Blacktail Ski Area, and then head over to Lakeside and have a beer at one of western Montana’s premier breweries. There are no shortages of good views at the location and you are sure to enjoy the building as it overlooks Stoner Creek. You are definitely going to enjoy the brew in your glass! (— Article by Alex Hartford)

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HUBBA HUBBA AND HIGH ENERGY HULLABALOO Infectious grooves, kicks over time, syncopated funk and a cadence of rhythmic lyrics pulsing like a madman just finding his high…this is how it starts. A twitch that slowly grows and then blares into euphoric release. “Feel-good music,” as the Billings band Hubba Hubba says with a mischievous grin. Known for their high energy and mix of funk, disco, and pop influences, Hubba Hubba is a group of musicians who implore their audience to leave their troubles at the door. No worrying about bills or work, no stewing on the next day’s responsibilities. When they open with the first note it is officially time to forget and dance, or if you’re a rather reluctant shaker, a slow sway or foot stomp will suffice. Hubba Hubba understands the first rule of music: have fun and give in to the moment, letting the song lull you into amnesia.

Hubba Hubba first realized there was something to their sound when they gathered in a friend’s basement 3 years ago. They finished songs in one sitting. Some moments are more serendipitous than others, and this was clearly one of those moments.

Fast forward a few years and their camaraderie is nearly impossible to measure. It helps that guitarist Aaron, vocalist Cain, and drummer Stefan are brothers and music is seemingly ingrained in their DNA. But it’s more than just their familiarity with each other and their musical preferences, as each brother has had their own experiences with differing musical genres, and it’s precisely because of their differences that something unique and original is brought to the stage.

Guitarist Aaron has played in metal bands and brings his hair-thrashing, head-banging guitar licks to a group that has decidedly eclectic tastes.

It’s Aaron’s energy and metal-playing experience that brings the group to a new emotional level.

Conversely, Cain, the lead vocalist and front man of the gang, is a self-professed Lady Gaga fan and feels no remorse in admitting so. Cain has the moves of Mick Jagger and the voice of a funked-up Chris Robinson when he was on tour with Jimmy Page. Accented and irregular voicings transform his lyrics into a vibrating manifestation of the band’s mantra to “just have fun” and his Bowieesque musical tastes undoubtedly do the band justice.

Drummer Stefan played with Shakefist and his hard-rock influences coalesce nicely with the band’s multi-layered sounds. Stefan proves to be a versatile and energetic drummer and he moves smoothly yet heavily through the band’s diverse musical repertoire, and if it’s a laid back jazz tune, or a high-energy disco feel on the hi-hat, Stefan doesn’t disappoint and his dexterous feel transcends his music preferences. Rounding out the rhythm section is his partner in crime on bass David Banuelos, a monster player in his own right. Though not related to the Flores brothers, they often joke that somewhere down the line they are related one way or another. And David is a perfect fit, whether it’s laying down complementary grooves that allow the other guys to play at their strengths or being the driving ostinato that the song is built upon, there is nothing this guy can’t do.

Though Hubba Hubba draws from a plethora

of musical influences, their sound is decidedly their own. This is most noticed when on stage or even when they occupy their practice space sweating like athletes. There is something original and authentic about their approach to the music, something that is newly discovered with each and every note. They are innovators in the purest sense of the word, as Hubba Hubba has no stylistic limitations and they leave nothing untouched or unturned, and their music is testament to this exploration.

Their funk/pop/fusion/disco/R&B arrangements can be compared to many artists new and old, however, their written lyrics can be both humorous and aggressive, and sometimes even bordering on flippant. True to their motto, they strive to produce a welcome distraction for their listener, and every refrain, every section of song, is steeped in particulars meant to have that desired effect.

And speaking of influences, their pop resonance can be compared to contemporary artists such as The 1975 or the staccato articulation of Blues Traveler, and their full-funk assault is on par with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jamiroquai, or even the Boston funk band Two Ton Shoe (look that one up, guys). Just a simple search online at Billings native Wes Urbaniak’s Light Box Music Sessions and you’ll become privy to the band’s versatility.

From the slow jam of “Moscow,” with rim clicks and delicate lyrics, to the accented and groove oriented song “Pocket Change,” there is no ceiling on this band. Their songs “Dumb Funky” and “Town Pump” epitomize the in-the-pocket chill and slap bass the band utilizes to get the audience on its feet, and try as you might there will be no sitting when Hubba Hubba is on stage.

The band will be out-and-about performing live in Billings this summer. Hubba Hubba is also scheduled to have their full length studio album out before the end of the year, authorizing everyone to find a beer and dancing partner.

As front man Cain Flores so eloquently put it, Hubba Hubba doesn’t take playing and inspiring people for granted. In fact, they often tailor their sets according to location and audience, and even which bands they are performing alongside.

They take nothing for granted, and their music takes precedent over the spoils of rock stardom.

And as any true artist understands, it’s not about the acclaim or the ego that is subjugated as a result, but rather art for art’s sake, and Hubba Hubba continues to inspire and grow not only as musicians, but as artists.

(— Article by Josh Michael, Photos by Carson Rose) For more on Hubba Hubba visit our blog at 406Hops.com

Cain/Vocals • David/Bass • Aaron/Guitar • Stefan/Drums

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Want a pair of Cains’ signature Hubba Hubba shades, their sample CD, and a Stanley stainless steel growler? Go to 406 Hops Brewing News FB page starting August 1st and enter for a chance to win.

PAGE 20 • Volume 1/Issue #5 • A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MONTANA’S BREWING NEWS