Big Sky Brewing Company, A Tasty Road Stop

What happens when three friends and home brewing beer geeks get together on an idea? Something truly wonderful if you’re talking Big Sky Brewing in Missoula, Montana, where my favorite all time beer, Moose Drool is lovingly created and bottled.

Any road trip to Montana dictates a visit for me. I’ve been known to drive miles out of my way to visit my favorite brewery that now makes my other favorite beers Trout Slayer, Summer Honey, and a few others soon to be favorites as well.

A friendly, low key, smaller scale brewery, Big Sky knows how to make you feel welcome and it’s no wonder they have a following across the nation.

The Taproom is where you’ll want to try some samples and consider buying some fun souvenirs. Yes, I guard and protect my Moose Drool t-shirt and my empty growlers that eagerly await my next 963 mile pilgrimage to get them refilled.

A staircase from the taproom allows a bird’s eye view of the brew house, cellar and bottling line and when the beer geeks who started it all are able, guided tours are also available.

With about 40 employees and producing around 40,000 barrels of beer, the operation is small enough to make it cozy and welcoming to visit yet large enough to produce and share the best beer around, throughout the country, and at a gradually growing pace.

Over nearly twenty years, the three beer geeks have gone from home brewery, to a small 7000 square foot brewery, to nearly 2 million six packs sold to twenty-four states produced in about 30,000 feet at their current location.

It’s been an interesting journey and wonderfully crafted beers have resulted. The next road trip you find yourself anywhere near Missoula, Montana, stop in for a treat and the ultimate road trip refreshment.