Heading to Big Sky Country? Here are 5 breweries to visit in Missoula, Montana

Missoula is home to some wonderful adventures, whether that’s climbing “The M” in the hills above the University of Montana, floating the lazy Clark Fork River or flyfishing the Blackfoot River. One of Montana’s biggest cities — while still holding onto its small-town charm — is also home to a handful of breweries worth a visit, whether you’re hungry, thirsty or just want a fun place to hang.

Missoula also is where much of my family lives, so on a recent visit, I decided to head out and get to know the breweries a bit better — seemed like a requirement for a beer writer. And while Missoula isn’t too close to Portland, it’s only an eight- to nine-hour drive or an hour-and-a-half flight — close enough that many Oregon and southwest Washington residents are going to find their way there at some point.

So with that in mind, here are the five breweries that got my initial attention and what you might find interesting about them.

Bayern Brewing

We begin at the beginning. The original modern craft brewery in Missoula began producing German styles in 1987 and has been doing them beautifully since. Bayern (pronounced Bye-ern) means the German state of Bavaria, the homeland of Bayern owner and master brewer Jurgen Knoller. Bayern adheres to Reinheitsgebot, the German Law of Purity of 1516, and the care is evident in the full range of styles available at the pub. There you’ll find a cozy beer garden with a huge chess board, a comfy bar area, and the Edelweiss Bistro, which serves all the German noshes you know and want.

• Why go: To experience history and drink all the lagers.
• What I drank: Pilsener, a biscuity and bready nose led to a super-clean pilsner with just the right touch of bitterness on the finish.
• Details: 1507 Montana St.; open daily at 11 a.m.; bayernbrewery.com

Draught Works Brewery

This was my favorite brewery in Missoula, so I wasn’t surprised to learn that in 2014 it won Very Small Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. The brewhouse crafts beautiful beers across pretty much any style you can think of, with a bit of a focus on IPAs, especially New Englands. While I was there the taplist included a thiolized New England double IPA, a double dry-hopped New England IPA, a New England triple IPA, an orange milkshake New England double IPA, and good old regular New England IPA. But if that’s not your thing, you might like its best-seller, the West Coast Scepter IPA, or the American Pilsner, the gose fruited with passion fruit, mango, guava and pineapple, the pastry imperial stout, the Kentucky common ale, the Helles lager, the blonde ale, the ESB … something for everyone. Add to that a big, open, rustic tasting room with dart boards, a killer patio plus daily rotating food trucks, and you’ve got yourself a day.

• Why go: The best beers around in a fun and comfortable setting.
• What I drank: Scepter IPA, a West Coast IPA with distinct aromas of orange and grapefruit, an on-target balance of pine and malt, with a touch of dank resin and a buttery finish. An insightful note I made to myself: “Really good.”
• Details: 915 Toole Ave.; open daily at noon; draughtworksbrewery.com

Tamarack Brewing

If you’re in the heart of Missoula, the historic downtown district, and you’re hungry, Tamarack Brewing is where to go. Based in Lakeside, Montana, Tamarack’s Missoula location offers all the pub food you could want on a menu. Sandwiches, burgers, nachos, fish and chips, pizza and appetizers, plus a slate of Mexican items, like quesadillas, burritos and tacos. The place is large, with a main ground-floor sports-pub style dining room and a balcony overlooking the Clark Fork River, plus an upstairs area that’s a bit more casual. To pair with your food, you’ll find an array of pub styles and a few IPAs, including a West Coast, a hazy and a rye, plus an oatmeal stout, amber, wheat, apricot wheat and a root beer.

• Why go: You’re hungry.
• What I drank: I’m not a big fan of sexualized naming conventions for blonde ales, but my server recommended the Bear Bottom Blonde as a brand flagship, so I ordered it — a full-flavored blonde ale that drinks more like a hoppy pale, with notes of guava and tropical sweetness.
• Details: 231 W. Front St.; 11 a.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. weekends for brunch; tamarackbrewing.com/missoula

Imagine Nation Brewing

On the opposite end of the spectrum is nearby Imagine Nation, a brewery that makes a range of styles, but its delicious New England IPAs and sours really got my attention. Imagine Nation’s hazies reminded me of Ruse Brewing or Great Notion, that same high quality with distinct flavor profiles. Its Addition by Addition New England Double IPA was superb — pillowy and tropical as could be. And here’s the kicker about Imagine Nation: The operation has always been fully committed to the community and supporting area nonprofits. It calls itself the first brewery in the nation to include a center for community transformation, with a vision to “fuel social change.” Its mission statement: “Through expansive beers, a celebratory atmosphere, a beer garden, and workshops we address the critical challenges of our time. The purpose of the brewery is to support people in their own transformation so they are better prepared to authentically connect and transform the world around them.” In its eight years, the brewery has hosted over 3,500 community events, and it has donated 25% of its profits to more than 500 community groups. That’s an amazing thing to contemplate while you sit in the shaded patio and enjoy a beer and food from the Garden City Taqueria truck outside.

• Why go: Enjoy creative, well-made styles while contributing to the common good.
• What I drank: Bartender Adam was more than generous — and informative — and provided a few lovely tasters, but my favorite was the Never Too Many Rainbows Passionfruited Gose, which includes guava, pineapple, mango and passionfruit purees. The brewery’s website says the beer was made for Missoula’s annual Pride celebration and is a collaboration with LGBTMontana.
• Details: 1151 W. Broadway; opens 2 p.m. Monday-Thursday, noon Friday-Sunday; imaginenationbrewing.com

Highlander Beer

You may have noticed at this point that hazy IPAs are very popular in Missoula, and my server at Highlander Beer told me that’s what they’re most known for, even though the brewhouse covers a gamut of styles. The taplist was a combination of lagers and ales, with Vienna and Mexican style lagers accompanying a Czech pilsner. The board held two hazy and two West Coast IPAs, along with a red ale and a golden wheat. Sours were especially tasty and included the Tangerine Squeezer and Sproing Blackberry Lemon Sour. The pizzeria in the back of the taproom cranks out mouth-watering deliciousness that you can get by the pie or the slice. That leads us to the capper at Highlander: The patio outside is amazing. Think Crux Fermentation Project in Bend, and you have the right idea. There’s a ton of benches, chairs and tables on covered and sun-splashed parts of the patio plus on the grass, and a massive covered pavilion that backs up to Grant Creek as well. Live music is featured, and various spaces are available for private events, but you’ll have a hard time finding a better place to enjoy a beautiful afternoon or evening drinking a beer al fresco.

• Why go: See above, the outdoor space.
• What I drank: Strawberry Cream Ale, which drank just how it sounded: a solid dose of strawberry in an ale that delivered a creamy mouthfeel while being slightly tart and refreshing.
• Details: 200 International Drive; opens daily at noon; highlanderbeer.com

— Andre Meunier; sign up for my weekly newsletter Oregon Brews and News, and follow me on Instagram, where I’m @oregonianbeerguy.