Montana Brewers Association

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Spring 2022 Newsletter

Posted On May 12, 2022

Montana Breweries Bring Home Two Gold and Two Bronze from World Beer Cup®

Posted On May 10, 2022

After a four-year hiatus, the World Beer Cup® is back and Montana breweries are coming home with awards. Four Montana breweries were recognized in yesterday’s awards ceremony with two gold and two bronze awards.

“We’re proud to see Montana breweries recognized for the excellent beer they produce,” said MBA Executive Director Matt Leow. “Competitions like the 2022 World Beer Cup help to show the rest of the world what Montanans already know, that our local breweries are brewing some of the best beer you’ll find anywhere.”

Congratulations to the following Montana breweries for their well-deserved awards:

Bozeman Brewing Co. (Bozeman) – Gold in the Robust Porter category with Plum St. Porter

Philipsburg Brewing Co. (Philipsburg) – Gold in the Pumpkin Beer category with 5 Phantoms

Bayern Brewing (Missoula) – Bronze in the South German-Style Hefeweizen category with St. Walter Hefeweizen

Mountains Walking Brewery (Bozeman) – Bronze in the International Pale Ale category with Damsel Fly

The 2022 World Beer Cup, hosted by the Brewers Association, was the largest international beer competition to date with 10,542 entries from 2,493 breweries representing 57 countries. The biennial event was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID. Awards were given in 103 beer-style categories at Thursday’s awards ceremony held in Minneapolis, MN following the annual Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®.

For the full list of winners, see the 2022 World Beer Cup winners.

For more award highlights, photos and video of the ceremony, see the Brewers Association news release.

Celebrate Montana Day with the Last Best Pale Ale

Posted On April 4, 2022

Collaboration Beer Made with Montana Ingredients will be Released on New Beer’s Eve

Wednesday is April 6th and that means it’s Montana Day (also known as 4-0-6 Day), the unofficial holiday celebrating the Big Sky State. It also happens to be New Beer’s Eve, the day before National Beer Day. To mark the occasion, breweries across Montana will be releasing the 2022 Last Best Pale Ale, a collaboration of Montana Brewers Association (MBA) member breweries.

“I can think of no better way to celebrate our great state and its people than with a Montana-made beer brewed with Montana-grown malt and hops,” says MBA Executive Director Matt Leow. “We’re so thrilled to have Montana hop growers, Montana barley growers, Montana maltsters and, of course, Montana brewers all participating in this collaboration beer. From the barley fields to your local taproom, Montana farmers, maltsters and brewers have produced a beer that embodies why this state we love is known as the Last Best Place”

This is the second year Montana brewers have teamed up with Montana producers to create a 100% Montana-made beer in celebration of craft in our state. Thanks to the generous support of Farm Power Malt, Gallatin Valley Malt, Malteurop, Montana Craft Malt, Big Sky Hops, Crooked Yard Hops, and Flathead Valley Hops, brewers purchased their ingredients at reduced rates from local growers. From there they got creative with their own, unique Pale Ale recipes. Now, they’re ready to share their brews with craft beer enthusiasts.

“What’s fun about this beer is that it allows us to connect in a special way with not only our fellow brewers but also the consumer,” says Ethan Kohoutek, co-owner of Ten Mile Creek Brewery. “With all the amazing brewers and craft beer lovers spread out across such a large area, the Last Best Pale Ale lets us share a common brew all over the state. All of this really shines a light on the uniqueness of our industry in the state, from the farms to the pint glass to the consumer.”

So far, fifteen Montana breweries are brewing the Last Best Pale Ale, though Leow says more will likely join in. Twelve breweries are planning to release their take on the collaboration beer on Montana Day. Each brewery will also donate a portion of the proceeds of their Last Best Pale to the Montana Brewers Association to continue to further the mission of promoting the production and sales of the freshest and highest quality Montana made beers. The MBA will use a portion of donations raised to fund scholarships for student researchers at MSU’s Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab.

“Brewing the Last Best Pale Ale is a great way for us to create a beer that showcases the incredible locally grown and produced beer ingredients that we have access to right here in the state of Montana,” explains Loy Maierhauser of MAP Brewing, “But even beyond that, it’s an opportunity for us to create a connection with other breweries around the state, as we continue to build this community of collaboration in support of a common cause.”

Montana beer lovers can support the collaboration beer project and ring in New Beers Eve on Montana Day by enjoying a pint of the Last Best Pale Ale on tap in the following breweries:

2 Basset Brewery (White Sulphur Springs)
Bitter Root Brewing (Hamilton) **
Blackfoot River Brewing Co. (Helena)
Bonsai Brewing (Whitefish) **
Burnt Tree Brewing (Ennis)
Cabinet Mountain Brewing Co. (Libby)
Draught Works Brewery (Missoula)
Highlander Beer (Missoula) **
Kalispell Brewing (Kalispell)
Katabatic Brewing Co. (Livingston)
KettleHouse Brewing (Missoula)
MAP Brewing Co. (Bozeman)
Ronan Coop (Ronan)
Sacred Waters Brewing Co. (Kalispell)
Ten Mile Creek Brewery (Helena)

Participating breweries will be pouring the Last Best Pale Ale collaboration beer throughout the year while supplies last.

The Montana Brewers Association works to protect and strengthen a diverse and independent Montana craft brewing industry, and facilitate cooperation and unity between all Montana breweries. The organization influences public policy to allow Montana’s craft brewing industry to thrive, provide educational opportunities for members of the industry and promote Montana craft beer.

For more information about the MBA, please visit montanabrewers.org.

**The Last Best Pale Ale may not be on tap by 4/06 at these breweries, check their websites for what’s on tap and their collaboration beer release dates!

Winter 2022 Newsletter

Posted On February 17, 2022

Montana Brewers Association

Montana Brewers Association

P.O. Box 8591

Missoula, MT 59807

406-948-BREW (2739)