Posted On March 23, 2020
Montana breweries are adjusting to the rapidly changing landscape created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Taprooms are closed for on-premises business, but breweries may continue to sell beer for carry-out, including curbside sales, and make home deliveries.
Closure orders in five Montana counties on Monday, March 16, were followed by Gov. Steve Bullock’s executive order on Friday, March 20, instituting a statewide closure. Then on Thursday, March 26, Gov. Bullock issued a stay-at-home order “to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Montana.”
Breweries that remain open are now relying on off-premises sales, utilizing privileges granted to brewers by existing law to sell packaged beer for off-premises consumption and deliver beer directly to the public. Gov. Bullock’s executive order maintains these privileges and temporarily allows and encourages breweries to offer “window service, walk-up service, drive-through service, or drive-up service.”
The Montana Brewers Association fully supports actions taken at the state and local levels to protect public health and slow the spread of COVID-19. Even before the closure orders from local health departments, local breweries were voluntarily closing their taprooms and otherwise adjusting their business activities to protect their staff, customers and the public.
“We are proud that our members are leading by example and putting public health first,” said Matt Leow, executive director of the Montana Brewers Association. “We are also very concerned about the impact this pandemic and the resulting economic crisis will have on these Main Street businesses that are so vital to our economy. It’s more important than ever for Montanans to support our local craft breweries.”
During the closure, Montana breweries are operating under the following guidelines:
These Montana breweries are open and offering the following services (updated April 17, 2020):
Download a PDF file of the list.
We will be updating this list as new information is available.
For more information or to share updates, please email [email protected].
Posted On February 25, 2020
Posted On October 25, 2019
Posted On September 19, 2019
Once again at our annual Fall Rendezvous in Missoula, the Montana Brewers Association partnered with local homebrew club, Zoo City Zymurgists, to judge over 120 beers from 34 breweries across the state and present awards in 16 categories. Congratulations to Outlaw for winning Best of Fest and to the other nine breweries that took home awards. Here is the full list of winning beers.
Best of Fest – Outlaw, Oktoberfest
Best of Fest Runner Up – Great Northern, Jorts
Best Belgian – MAP, Fully Lit Wit
Best Festbier – Outlaw, Oktoberfest
Best Fruit/Speciality – Smelter City, Guava Gose with Lime
Best IPA – Bitter Root Brewing, Last Cast
Best Imperial IPA – Conflux, Falcon Kidding Me
Best Kettle Sour – Mountains Walking, Sour IPA
Best Lager – Great Northern, Jorts
Best Pale Ale – Union Hall, Hay Shaker
Best Pilsner – Outlaw, Pot Shot Pilsner
Best Porter – Bozeman Brewing, Plum St. Porter
Best Scotch Ale – Katabatic, Katabatic Scotch
Best Stout – MAP, 80 Chain
Best Red Ale – Conflux, Irish Red Ale
Best Saison – Union Hall, Saddle Horn
Best Wheat – Conflux, Spiced Strawberry Wheat
Best Wood Aged – MAP, Speedy GoseZales