Discovering Western Montana Through Beer - Part 2

A few weeks ago I traveled to Montana for an annual beer writers conference known as the Beer Now Conference. My wife and I expanded the trip into a “beercation” focused on exploring western Montana. Part 2 of my article about this trip covers exploring Kalispell and Glacier National Park through beer. If you haven’t read Part 1, then please click here before reading further.

Driving to Kalispell from Missoula took us past the western shores of Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake by surface area that is west of the source of the Missouri River in the continental United States. Once known as “Salish Lake”, this body of water was named for the Salish Indians, who populated this area. Early European Americans called them the Flathead Indians because of their custom of flattening infants’ foreheads. With breathtaking views, Flathead Lake covers nearly 200 square miles, has more than 160 miles of shoreline and reaches a depth of 370 feet.

Montana’s Flathead Lake is approximately 30 miles long and 16 miles wide.

The drive also took us past the Lakeside, Montana location of Tamarack Brewing. This is a great place to stop for lunch and enjoy the Flathead Lake area. Tamarack’s top selling beers are Hat Trick IPA, Yard Sale Amber Ale and Bottom Blonde.

Kalispell

Montana’s rugged beauty is on full display in Kalispell. We found Kalispell vibrant and charming. Kalispell serves as a great “base camp” for families seeking outdoor recreation activities and wishing to spend a day, a week or even more in the wilds of Northwest Montana.

We used our “base camp” to discover some Montana white water rapids.

Visiting a craft brewery provides a great way to relax after a day full of adventure and you can recap the day’s activities. Overall, the Flathead Valley offers 17 breweries, distilleries, wineries and cideries for the craft beverage of your choice. Since our stay in Kalispell was brief, we only visited 2 breweries – Bias Brewing and Kalispell Brewing Company.

Bias Brewing

Opened by Adam and Amanda Robertson and Gabe Mariman, Kalispell’s newest brewery (2018) radiates an eclectic and creative vibe. Only a few beers are mainstays, with the rest of the lineup consisting of rotator beers, seasonal specialties, and brewer’s experiments!

Adam and Amanda built the bar using recycled wood and other materials. This included welding the metal legs for the chairs and stools. They did all the development while still working full-time jobs to support their endeavors. Amanda has a background in electrical engineering and Adam’s is in information technology.

The name Bias Brewing comes from a term used in electronics. Biasing refers to establishing predetermined power at various points of an electronic circuit to establish proper operating conditions in electronic components.The term also serves as a electronic metaphor for the Robertson’s overcoming the inertia needed to start the brewery.

Adam is also the head brewer. We met Adam during our visit and he gave us a tour of the brewery. His DIY, MacGyver-like skills extended into the creation and building of the brewery. Rather than using gas or steam for brewing, Adam used electrical burners that required automated control. So Adam configured and wired the necessary electrical system, designed and built the automated control panel, and wrote the software to manage the overall system. Rather than keg the beer, Adam uses old dairy tanks that he acquired from a Chobani yogurt factory in Idaho. Located in the brewery cold room, the tanks have the capacity to hold about 30,000 12-ounce pours.

Bias Brewing is a living testament to the MacGyver quote: “With a little bit of imagination, anything is possible.”

Kalispell Brewing Company

Kalispell Brewing Company is the city’s first independent craft brewery located in historic downtown Kalispell, Montana. In 2012, husband-wife duo, Cole Schneider and Maggie Doherty started resurrecting the former Hendricksen Motors building on Main Street. And in 2014, Kalispell Brewing opened its doors.

The brewery consists of a 10 BBL system with fermentation capacity for 180 BBLs. Overall, the brewery produces about 2000 BBLs per year. Three flagship beers are canned – Cloudcroft IPA, Two Ski Brewski Pilsener and Winter at Noon Dunkel – and other beers are available on draft.

Beers are served in style-specific glassware to elevate flavors and aromas. And the spacious brewery has upper-level outdoor seating.

During our visit, I had the Ator Doppelbock. This 8% ABV beer delivered an intense and rich malty sweetness with a note of hop bitterness to balance the sweetness. I loved it!

Ator Doppelbock

Glacier National Park

Kalispell is the western gateway to Glacier National Park. Pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, white water rivers and beautiful lakes provide spectacular views for those seeking unspoiled wilderness.

With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier National Park is a hiker’s paradise.

You may be wondering if craft beer is available in Glacier National Park. The answer is YES. Located 10 miles inside Glacier National Park’s west entrance, historic Lake MacDonald Lodge provides a great stopping point to view the eastern shore of beautiful Lake McDonald. Within the lodge, Lucke’s Lounge provides a selection of Montana craft beers. Furthermore, the list includes Lone Walker Ale, which is made exclusively for Glacier National Park by Flathead Lake Brewing Company. Lone Walker Ale is only served in the Glacier National Park Lodges. Flathead Lake Brewing designed this session pale ale (5% ABV) with a fragrant hop aroma by adding Citra and Mosaic hops late in the boil. So be certain to add this beer to your bucket list if you haven’t had it.

Enjoy viewing Lake MacDonald…

and then enjoy a Montana craft beer.

Summary

Montana’s rugged beauty is on full display in Northwest Montana. Furthermore, the Flathead Valley area offers some great opportunities to integrate craft beer into your adventures. So when planning your next Montana adventure, be certain to include craft beer stops into your agenda.

And Check Out These Other Flathead Valley Breweries

Next Stop – Great Falls

After Glacier National Park, we proceeded to Great Falls for the Beer Now Conference. Don’t miss the exciting action in my next installment of “Discovering Western Montana Through Beer”.