News

Winners: Montana Posts Strong Showing At North American Beer Awards

Posted On June 10, 2014

Winners: Montana Posts Strong Showing At North American Beer Awards

(Re-post with permission from Growler Fills)

Winners: Montana Posts Strong Showing At North American Beer Awards

Held each year in June, the annual 2014 North American Beer Awards took place last weekend in conjunction with the Mountain Brewers Beer Fest in Idaho Falls, ID. The competition organized by the North American Brewers Association is conducted as a single blind sampling followed by rank ordering of the entries within a category.

It’s a big deal, too, annually receiving more than 1,400 entries, including many of the best from around the western U.S. and beyond. Montana’s breweries put on a strong showing once again. Here are the Montana winners:

Big Sky Brewing Company

Gold – Bobo’s Robust Porter – Robust Porter
Gold – Summer Honey – Honey Beer

Bitterroot Brewing

Silver – Nut Brown Ale – English-Style Brown Ale
Silver – Bitterroot Oatmeal Stout – Oatmeal Stout

Canyon Creek Brewing

Silver – One Night Stand – Golden or Blonde Ale

Carter’s Brewing

Bronze – Switchyard Scottish Ale – Scottish-Style Export
Bronze – Frambeaux – Lambic
Silver – Biere de Mars 2014 – Biere de Garde
Gold – Rob Moore Abbey Ale – Dubbel
Gold – The Golden Boy – Tripel

Draught Works

Bronze – That’s What She Said – Cream Ale
Gold – Backdraught – German-Style Rauchbier

Flathead Lake Brewing Co.

Bronze – Dirty Ginger – Other Belgian-Style Ales
Gold – Montucky Sour Brown – Flanders-Style Red or Brown Ale

Great Northern Brewing Co.

Gold – Wheatfish – Hefeweizen

Kettlehouse Brewing Co.

Bronze – Fresh Bongwater – English-Style Summer Ale
Silver – Double Haul – English-Style India Pale Ale

Madison River Brewing Co.

Bronze – Frostbite Barley Wine 12 – American-Style Barley Wine

Montana Brewing Co.

Bronze – Whitetail Wheat – Hefeweizen
Bronze – Custer’s Last Stout – Oatmeal Stout
Bronze – Beartooth Espresso Porter – Coffee Beers

Philipsburg Brewing Company

Silver – Corners Porter – Coffee Beers

Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co.

Silver – Liver Eatin’ Ale – Dark Hefeweizen

Tamarack Brewing Co.

Gold – Blue Jay White IPA – Hybrid Style Beers
Silver – Training Wheels Rootbeer – Carbonated Soft Drinks

Uberbrew

Silver – Alt 0220 – Altbier
Bronze – Black Hops Tactical IPA – Cascadian Style Dark Ale

Walsh sponsors legislation to cut taxes for Montana brewers and distillers

Posted On May 30, 2014

Measures would help reduce overhead so small businesses can grow and create more jobs

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator John Walsh today sponsored legislation to reduce taxes for Montana brewers, building on his work to support one of Montana’s growing industries and help create good-paying jobs in Montana.

“Montana’s industry of brewers and distillers contribute to our local economies, strengthen our state and create good-paying jobs – it’s our job to help them thrive,” Walsh said. “Cutting taxes brewers and distillers pay will reduce their overhead so they can return the investment in their businesses, grow their operation and add unbeatable Made in Montana products to shelves across the state and country.”

The bipartisan BEER Act will halve the excise tax on all beer from $18 a barrel to $9 – approximately 2.5 cents per can, down from five cents – and lower rates for small brewers from $7 to $3.50 or less. All Montana brewers would benefit from this adjustment.

The bipartisan Small BREW Act is targeted specifically to lowering the excise tax for smaller brewers. It would halve the excise tax on the first 60,000 barrels of beer produced by small brewers from $7 to $3.50, and it would give a $2 break for small breweries for every barrel they produce between 60,000 and 2 million.

With 46 breweries, and at least six more expected to open later this year, Montana has the third-highest number of small breweries per capita in the nation. Brewers use over 6 million pounds of malted grain, much of which is grown in Montana. The breweries employ more than 500 Montanans. In 2013 alone, craft beer production increased 15% in Montana in 2013.

Senator Jon Tester is a cosponsor of the BEER Act and the Small BREW Act.

Montana is also home to a burgeoning distillery industry. Last month, Walsh announced the creation of the Small Distillers Caucus at Headframe Spirits in his hometown of Butte, where he heard from owner Jeff McKee about the amount of taxes his business paid – often at the expense of covering other costs. Walsh supports the Distillery Excise Tax Reform Act to reduce the excise rate for distilled spirits to only $2.70 for the first 100,000 proof gallons produced. Every gallon above 100,000 would continue to be taxed at the rate under current law of $13.50 per proof gallon. Montana currently has 16 distilleries in operation and they would all benefit from a reduction in the excise tax.

Here is what Montanans are saying about Walsh’s support for lowering taxes on distillers and brewers:

“Microbreweries and distilleries represent a fast-growing segment of the Montana economy that not only support a renewal of domestic manufacturing, but also Montana’s agriculture by increasing demand for locally-grown ingredients. A reduction in the tax burden faced by small breweries and distilleries will help these businesses grow. We applaud Sen. Walsh’s continued support of Montana-based small business and agriculture.”

– Matt Muth and Phil Sullivan, 406 Brewing Company and WildRye Distilling, Bozeman

“Beer plays a big part in Montana’s agricultural economy. Both large and small U.S. brewers benefit from Montana grown barley. We applaud Senator Walsh for cosponsoring the Small Brew Act because it will help us keep more dollars in Missoula’s economy.”

– Tim O’Leary, Kettlehouse Brewing Company, Missoula

“The Small BREW Act is a great bill for the Montana craft beer industry and it is a great bill for each community in the state that is home to a local brewery. By the end of this year, Blackfoot River Brewing Company will have been in business for sixteen years and in that time we will have paid a quarter of a million dollars in federal beer excise tax. At Blackfoot River Brewing Company we take great pride in being an active part of our community. I appreciate Senator Walsh’s support for the Small BREW Act that will allow us to spend more money in our community instead of sending it to Washington D.C.”

– Brad Simshaw, Blackfoot River Brewing Company, Helena

April Newsletter: MBA Spring Festival, New Breweries & New Associate Members

Posted On April 21, 2014

Billings Spring Brewfest April 25th in Metra Park

Montana Brewers Spring Festival

April 25th 2014 – MetraPark, Billings MT

Join 22 Montana Brewers Association craft breweries to enjoy 71 of their Montana-made beers! Live music from The Growlers & Cure for the Common. Your ticket price includes a 9oz commemorative glass with unlimited samples of Montana beer. Food from our friends at Fat Taco, Jimmy’s Greece Pit, Cajun Phatty’s and Taste of Asia.

VIP Tickets-4pm Entry & Meet the Brewers:
$30 in advance/$35 at the gate

General Admission 5pm:
$20 in advance/$25 at the gate