Billings, Montana, has five microbreweries: Yellowstone Valley, Angry Hank’s, Carter’s, Bones and Montana Brewing. I’ve only been to two of them—Yellowstone Valley and Montana—and only recorded one. I hope to get around to all of them on my next visit.
Microbreweries have a notoriously difficult time succeeding in Montana, as State laws serve to protect businesses that have contracts with the distributors of industrial swill. Microbreweries have to close by 8 pm, they can’t serve food and there’s a 48 oz (3 pint) limit per person per day. Because of the oppressive legal environment, you can feel like you’re in a Prohibition-era speakeasy when at some Montana microbreweries. I was at the Garage Pub at Yellowstone Valley Brewing one night, and it definitely had the feel of a clandestine, underground operation. It’s in a real garage and there’s not much ambience, but it was jumping the night I was there with lots of outdoorsy people getting their 48 ounces and gabbing about ice climbing, fishing, skateboarding, Frisbee golf and what-have-you. I’ll have to get pictures at Yellowstone Valley next time I’m in Billings.
I recently visited Montana Brewing, located at 113 N. Broadway (aka N. 28th St.), just off 1st Avenue in the heart of downtown Billings.
The brewing facility can be seen through large plate glass windows along one side of the pub.
You’ll notice in the above picture that in 2010 alone, Montana Brewing has received recognition at the World Beer Cup, the Great American Beer Festival, the U.S. Open Beer Championship and the North American Beer Awards. That’s pretty impressive, though probably a bit deceptive, too. It might be that Montana Brewing enters contests more frequently than other breweries.
Montana Brewing was pouring eight ales the night I was last there.
Though they craft an IPA—Mistle-Cone—they weren’t pouring it last week so I settled for their Sharptail Pale. I was pleasantly surprised by the Pale. It was well-hopped with Cascades yet perfectly balanced and had no astringency or unpleasant bitterness. No envelope-pushing with this one. Very quaffable. It was also nice that the bartender seemed to know what he was talking about. I remarked about the quality of the Pale and he immediately credited the Cascade hops and described its characteristics.
Nice head on the Pale.
I’m a purist and don’t really like it when a microbrewery also features a full liquor bar, but I guess Montana Brewing has its reasons. Those reasons probably have to do with Montana’s oppressive microbrewery laws. One way to get around them—or to operate within them without looking like it—is to divvy up your operation, making distinct entities out of your brewing facility, taproom and restaurant. Putting them all under one roof is complicated, but I think that’s what Montana Brewing Company has done, and their full bar is part of the way they legitimize their presence as a restaurant—remember, a microbrewery can’t serve food! Way to go!
I don’t like it when microbreweries describe a beer as being “for hop heads only”—it is so unoriginal and overused—and Montana Brewing does it with two of theirs: Sharptail Pale and Mistle-Cone IPA. But this is a small offense barely worthy of mention.
Though I’ve been to Montana Brewing twice and so probably won’t be back again until I’ve visited each of the other four breweries in town, it is definitely a spot I’d recommend. If you’re eastbound on I-90, Billings is your last chance for fresh craft ale until Granite City in Fargo, North Dakota, over 600 miles away! And if you’re westbound, Billings is the gateway to the Northwest craft beer scene. Though Billings has five microbreweries, Montana Brewing has the best hours and amenities, not to mention excellent beers.
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