Your top 5 Montana brews

[kwyeewyk]

Closing in on Montana's 11 week season, figure I'll just hunt wherever the best beer is, so what's your favorite? Brew/brewery and/or spirit/distillery. I've spent some time in MT over the years and drank a lot of beer there but don't think I've ever been too impressed with the quality, you know, compared to WA, OR and CA breweries. But guessing I just haven't found the best of the best yet, so show me the light.

If you tell me Philipsburg MT 1 you're fired!

 

[MThuntr]

I like IPAs and like many

Highlander Strange Haze (Hazy IPA)
Draught Works My Ruca (American Pale Ale)
Glacier Brewing Creeper Pigeon (IPA)
Kettlehouse Cold Smoke (Scotch Ale)...on nitro if possible
Mountains Walking Grazing Clouds (New England/Hazy IPA)

 

[MTLabrador]

In no particular order and knowing that all of these will anger @neffa3:

Bitterroot Dirt Church Hazy IPA
Kettlehouse Cold Smoke
Red Lodge Bent Nail IPA
Red Lodge Helio Hefeweizen
Madison River Salmon Fly Honey Rye.

 

[JLS]

@MTLabrador has wisdom beyond his years. Must be his hunting company.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Boy it's really gonna depend on your tastes, but for me, no particular order:

Bayern Dragon's Breath - Dark Hef
Kettlehouse Cold Smoke - Scotch Ale
Higlander Devil's Hump - Red Ale
Red Lodge Bent Nail - IPA
I'll throw a curve in for a warm evening on the patio...Western Cider Fat Robin - Hard cider w/ flathead cherries

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I am by far not the most experienced MT beer drinker, but I know what labels I look for when I am out there.

Kettlehouse: Cold Smoke Scotch Ale (pretty amazing on the nitro tap) and Double Haul IPA
Jeremiah Johnson: I have tried a few of theirs that they have been pretty good.
Bozeman Brewing: Hopzone
Big Sky: Scapegoat EPA (I have a thing for those furry white goats...), They have an stout that is pretty good too (can't recall the name)

I have wanted to check out Mountains Walking Brewery in Bozeman. Heard good things, but haven't had a chance. Maybe someone can confirm.

 

[Beignet]

I like Bayern and Wildwood beers a lot as they seem to focus more on traditional beer styles than the “Taste of the Forest Floor Quadruple Hopped IPA” style stuff.

Disappointed that Highlander seems to have dropped Devil’s Hump from their lineup. Hasn’t been on local store shelves lately and was not available of draft at the taproom on my last recent visit.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Red Lodge Helio Hefeweizen

Forgot this one. If I see it I usually grab some.

 

[MTLabrador]

I really can’t limit it to 5. Dragon’s Breath is also excellent, as is Angry Hank’s Streetfight Red, which is pretty much only available on tap around Billings.

 

[R.K.]

Time to stir the pot.

I don’t drink IPAs, and I’m not from Montana- been here 4 years and change, originally from the Midwest, and had more than my fair share of brews living there. And I’m thoroughly unimpressed by Montana’s beer.

With that said:

Bayern Bakkenbock
Bayern Dump Truck
Highlander? Ditch Parrot
Meadowlark Nice Marmot
Carter’s Kolsch

Bozeman brewers needs to lay off the weed and realize not everybody wants overhopped beers, and the entire state needs a lesson in proper carbonation levels at elevation- it’s annoying.

 

[4ohSick]

In no particular order:
Bridger Brewing - Vigilante IPA
Draught Works - Hand Rolled Hazy IPA (but My Ruca is a close second)
Ten Mile Creek Brewing - Woodknocker IPA (they don't distribute, so you're stuck in Helena for this one)
Kettlehouse - Cold Smoke
New Hokkaido - Pilsner (offshoot of Mtns Walking, but Japanese style beers)

 

[Nameless Range]

1. Blackfoot - Single Malt IPA - hands down
2. Kettlehouse -Cold Smoke
3. Red Lodge - Bent Nail IPA
4. Copper Furrow - Mexican Lager
5. Big Sky used to make something called Crystal Ale - it's been a decade or so, but I loved that beer.

 

[MThuntr]

I have wanted to check out Mountains Walking Brewery in Bozeman. Heard good things, but haven't had a chance. Maybe someone can confirm.

Great brewery...expensive and hipster heavy

 

[HSi-ESi]

Kettlehouse Double-haul
Bitterroot Brewing Single-hop (fav in a can)
Blackfoot IPA (fav on tap)
Bent-nail
Hop-zone

 

[Gerald Martin]

[QUOTE="MinnesotaHunter, post: 3448485, member: 17758
Big Sky: Scapegoat EPA (I have a thing for those furry white goats...), They have an stout that is pretty good too (can't recall the name)

I have wanted to check out Mountains Walking Brewery in Bozeman. Heard good things, but haven't had a chance. Maybe someone can confirm.
[/QUOTE]

Sounds like a good plan leading up to a trip into the hills for a beast the color of winter. Maybe pull a Greenhorn and pack a can of Scapegoat apiece for the after success campfire?

Billy approves.

 

[JLS]

The Jeremiah Johnson vanilla porter is pretty damn good.

 

[BirdManMike]

Cold Smoke and Moose Drool are rot gut, not beer. Line in the sand.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Sounds like a good plan leading up to a trip into the hills for a beast the color of winter. Maybe pull a Greenhorn and pack a can of Scapegoat apiece for the after success campfire?

Billy approves.View attachment 235876
[/QUOTE]

We will definitely be packing beer in. I will try not to do what I did when scouting for my goat, and puncture a can of Hopzone in my pack. I was really hoping grizzly didn't like hoppy beer there for a couple days...

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

I like the angry red street fighter and Custer’s last stout when I’m out , haven’t found my must have go to yet from the store , still searching

 

[The Hedgehog]

Cannot visit "Mountains Walking" as hands down the best brewery in Montana is right across the street. Bozeman Brewing is certainly the best beer, no frills brewery.

Some good beers from MT. Dirt Church, Map's IPAs - strange cattle and midas, Coldsmoke scotch ale is good, even though from Missoula. Map has a good environment.