HOMEGROWN FLAVORS

CRAFT BEER, WINE & SPIRITS

Our brewers, distillers and winemakers take great pride in their locally sourced ingredients. Take a road trip (with a designated driver, of course) to discover the distinctive local flavors inside the region’s 15 breweries, three distilleries and two wineries. Befriend the brew master and you may even get an impromptu behind-the-scenes tour.

Start your adventure in Billings, which is hopping with craft breweries and distilleries. Follow the Billings Brew Trail, Montana’s only Walkable Brewery District, located in historic downtown Billings, and sign up for your Billings Brew Pass at VisitBillings.com/Billings-Brew-Trail.

If wine is more to your liking, stop at Yellowstone Cellars in Billings for local vintages. In Miles City, Tongue River Winery offers unique wine exclusively made from grapes and fruit grown on their family-owned and -operated vineyard. Here, curiosity often leads to a spontaneous, guided walk through the vineyard.

8 GREAT GRAIN-TO-GLASS BREWS

1. BEAVER CREEK BREWERY | WIBAUX

This brewery exclusively uses Montana malt barley as a base in each of their beers and is known locally as the original “Beer Oasis” of Eastern Montana. Try a local favorite, the Paddlefish Stout Ale , a coffee lover’s delight.

2. MEADOWLARK BREWING | BILLINGS

Billings’ newest brewery focuses on producing high-quality ales with an uncompromising devotion to quality. Each beer comes with its own story, including the Teddy Roosevelt American Badass, Black Steer’s Tookus and Harvester Cream Ale

3. TILT WÜRKS BREWHOUSE | MILES CITY

Larger than the traditional tap room, you’ll find beer alongside gastro-pub food options. With names like Bang Back Blueberry Wheat and Pinball Pilsner , plus flavors like peanut butter and chocolate stout, you are sure to hit on an original.

4. LAST CHANCE CIDER MILL | BILLINGS

They proudly press and craft their cider in-house using ripe, hand-picked fruit. The Full Montana comes highly recommended, made solely with apples harvested in-state.

5. OTIUM BREWING | MILES CITY

These brewers commit to using Montanamade ingredients for a truly local brew. Grab a pint here and slow down for an oldfashioned card or dice game by their cozy fireplace or seasonal patio.

6. DIAMOND X BEER CO. | BILLINGS

Try one of their locally named beers, like Engine #7 Lager or Phipps Park Pilsner While you may come for the beer—you’ll end up staying for the atmosphere and food.

7. BY ALL MEANS BREWERY | BILLINGS

Here they deliver innovative and creative brews from smooth and malty to bright and fruity. Order one of their more innovative brews, like the smoothie IPAs Bambreeze, Bamnectar and Bamberry , which embrace extraordinary flavors.

8. HIGH PLAINS BREWING | LAUREL

At this brewery, you’ll come as a stranger and leave as a friend. Taste one of their popular, original brews: High Plains Honey Porter, Haywire Honey Wheat or Boney Dog IPA.

Southeast Montana Burger Trail

Taste true Montana flavor from inside small-town eateries that show off unique craftsmanship and local humor, all smothered with genuine culinary ingenuity. The Burger Trail features more than 20 burgers. Locals can confirm—this is a foodie experience you don’t want to miss. The friendly establishments along the Southeast Montana Burger Trail will make you fall more in love with Montana, bite after bite, so come hungry.

Five Favorites

1. LOS VAQUEROS RESTAURANT | WIBAUX

The Wibaux Burger is loaded with bacon, roasted peppers and a homemade, fried onion ring tower filled with fresh guacamole. It’s served on a toasted bun branded with the iconic Wibaux Longhorn. It doesn’t get any more cowboy than a branded burger!

2. ROY RODGERS BAR | TERRY

This classic cowboy hangout brings saloonera nostalgia to life. Be pleasantly surprised by their impeccable Fried Green Tomato & Bacon Burger, eloquently constructed and drizzled with balsamic glaze.

3.

HEISER’S BAR | BAKER

If you have a craving for something juicy and spicy, the Sriracha Bacon Pepperjack Burger will knock your socks off with its homemade sriracha sauce. Each burger is plated with all the fixings and more fries than you probably have room for.

4. HOMESTEAD INN | BROADVIEW

Don’t let the unadorned exterior deter your mission because their food will amaze you. The Mexi Burger is served on an openfaced bun with a ¼ lb. patty, buried in a homemade green chili (a secret recipe of the owner), and sprinkled with diced tomato and cheese.

5. THE BURGER DIVE | BILLINGS

This place is the holy grail for any burger aficionado. The I’m Your Huckleberry Burger is a tremendous 1/3 lb. patty, covered with a cascading layer of homemade huckleberryhatch chili barbeque sauce, bacon, creamy goat cheese, roasted red pepper mayo and fresh arugula.

Classic Cowboy Hangouts

Looking for an authentic Western experience without the rodeo? Do as the cowboys do and head down to the local watering hole to catch up on the day’s adventure over some homemade food and a pint of beer. At these classic cowboy hangouts, once you’re in, you’re a regular.

We recommend stopping in Miles City, the birthplace of genuine Montana cowboying with its deep roots in the Old West cattle trade. To get some chow, visit the historic Montana Bar where every piece of the establishment has a story behind it, from the wooden stand-up bar to the now-extinct Audubon bighorn sheep mounted on the wall. Mile City’s other historic tavern, the Bison Bar, is known to always have a fun crowd.

If you’re traveling into Montana from Wyoming on Highway 212, don’t miss the Stoneville Saloon in Alzada, an old-style saloon with sawdust-covered floors, an antique bar and a bartender with a million stories. Other friendly small-town taverns include Ekalaka’s Dawg House Pub and Baker’s Heiser’s Bar, both known for their great burgers. Hang out long enough at either of these establishments and someone might invite you to their cattle branding later.

Around here you’ll see local cattle brands, old posters and pictures embellishing the walls that serve as great conversation-starters. If you’re driving north out of Billings on Highway 87, pull up a stool at Roundup’s Grand Bar to learn a bit about the cattle-wrangling town.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Art

With all that inspiration from scenic views just outside the door, it’s no surprise that the region has motivated artists to capture the beauty out here. There is an emerging art scene in not only the larger city of Billings but in the vibrant small towns, from colorful murals on brick walls to intricate metal sculptures.

The best of the Billings art scene is on display during the bimonthly ArtWalk Downtown, which pairs artists with local businesses for informal showings, sales and demonstrations. Other notable public art scenes include a 12-foot bucking horse sculpture by Erin Thormodsgard in Miles City, the newly installed bronze “Teddy Blue Crossing the Musselshell” in Roundup and the Bridger Bronze statue trail in Glendive created by Pamela Harr.

If you are interested in native-made artwork and jewelry, browse and shop at trading posts on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations. Or visit the vendors during seasonal powwows.

Tour public works of art in Billings using the Downtown Billings Public Art map, here: DowntownBillings.com/Downtown-Directory/Art

Entertainment

Experience our flourishing music scene with music festivals like Magic City Blues, community concert series like Cowtown Moosic in Miles City and even big-name concerts hosted at MetraPark and The Pub Station. Venture out to a small-town music and arts festival like Mako-Chella at Makoshika State Park. Enjoy an evening at Alberta Bair Theater listening to the Billings Symphony or a theatrical performance by local talent at the NOVA Center for The Performing Arts. Share a bucket of popcorn and watch debut films at one of our restored historic movie theaters, like the Babcock Theatre in Billings, Roxy Theatre in Forsyth and Montana Theatre in Miles City.

The best way to remember your vacation? Take a piece of Southeast Montana home when you buy authentic and local. The Montana makers and creators are a great source for souvenirs and gifts. You’ll find their goods—jewelry, art, pottery and apparel—at shops around the region. Look for the Made in Montana and Native American Made in Montana logos for authenticity.

Finds Out Here

Dinosaurs Downtown

Dinosaurs certainly qualify as “wild,” with a few in Glendive being wilder than others. In this town, they have evolved into pop culture icons. Play “I Spy” with the dinos or cast your vote for the wackiest. Selfies encouraged.

WORLD’S LARGEST STEER

Recorded as the largest steer in the world at 3,980 pounds, Steer Montana was born in the Fertile Prairie community (yes, you read that right). He “toured” the country, both alive and taxidermized, as an early 1900s fair attraction, with the O’Fallon County Museum in Baker as his final resting place. Rumor has it that whiskey mash contributed to his Prohibition-era girth.

Pompeys Pillar

Which way do we go? While technically correct, this sign makes us laugh. Turn left for Pompeys Pillar National Monument, where Captain William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition carved his name in the rock pillar in 1806. If you go right, you will drive through the unincorporated rail community with the same name. Turn left.