Pacific Brew News

I recently took a whirlwind tour through Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Alberta and Saskatchewan, a 3,500 mile journey through some beautiful country. Given my affinity to finding new beer, I did some homework on www.BeerMapping.com to find breweries along the way. I called or emailed ahead, found out who sold growlers and then plotted some stops accordingly.

In Nevada there was only one stop for us, Great Basin Brewing. I went hoping to catch up with some friends, which I was happy to accomplish, and left with a growler of Icky – listed in DRAFT Magazine’s 50 Beers 50 States lineup, a worthy selection indeed. The brewery is small, with a long bar as you enter and windows that look over the brewhouse. After a growler fill and a shared pint, it was on the road again.

Montana, make no mistake, is Big Sky country in more than one way. That said, I wasn’t interested in Moose Drool (although I was tempted to buy some in cans). Instead I made my first stop in Butte at Quarry Brewing. Butte is an oddly situated town dominated by the vast rock quarry backdrop. I met the owners at this small brewery, lovely people. Chuck Schnabel came from the RAM family and opened Quarry in late 2007. It didn’t take time for them to find acceptance in Butte and today locals are more than happy to try anything and everything Chuck brews. From the sampler platter presented to me, I chose the nutty and roasty porter – a lovely beer.

Backing up a bit in my story telling, I must mention an unscheduled stop in Melrose, Montana. The purpose of the stop was to answer nature’s call, so we figured stopping at any old place would do. What we found was a watering hole I’d be more than happy to call my local joint.  The place has been here since the 1940s and is currently operated by the daughter of the original owner and barkeep. The beers are mostly from Montana and you simply can’t ask for a more friendly place to sip down a fresh pint.

In Helena we stopped at Blackfoot River Brewing, an impressive brewery in every way. The building they occupy is new and the brewery relocated here late last year. With two organic beers and several more made with non-organic ingredients, the brewery definitely has something for every palate. Talking briefly with the brewer it seems locals can only hope for more variety, with new laws lifting old restrictions on ABV in beer, it won’t be long before barley wines and other big beers are slung over the bar. I was happy with the Single Malt IPA, so naturally it found its way into a growler.

We next found ourselves on the other side of the American/Canadian border, in Alberta, driving east to Saskatoon Saskatchewan. To be blunt, there just isn’t a good beer stop option on these roads with small towns spread apart by long stretches of road. When we got to Saskatoon we discovered the beer/liquor stores there had dismal beer offerings – I’m talking pathetic. The lone bright star in this city is Paddock Wood Brew, but finding their beers isn’t as easy as it should be. The brewery isn’t much to look at from the outside, but the beers are top-notch. Easily the best in town.

On our trip back toward California we made an impromptu stop in Belgrade, Montana, based on the recommendation of a local and Facebook friend, Mitch, who suggested I check out the Hop Juice IPA at Madison River Brewing. What a great suggestion! This place is as small as they come, not the easiest place to find (not hard either) and served several outstanding beers. We started with the Saison, which seemed to have a boosted citrus component, tart and refreshing. From here we moved on to the Hop Juice – a brash and unapologetic beer that makes sport of roughing up your palate. It’s the kind of beer that lingers in bitterness, but still manages to display a hefty American hop character. You guessed it, we left with a growler and a six-pack of this beer.

Brownstone Brewing in Idaho Falls is a solid venue for beer enthusiasts longing for a local brewery. That said, the building and beers seemed safe and the service lacked. A greater offense came when my pint of Pale Ale came with a layer of ice floating atop the beer – I was not impressed. Still, they had a pale bock on tap that was quite tasty and a brown ale that would be easy to enjoy several pints of. Hold the ice.

Our final brewery before coming home was Portneuf Valley Brewing, a little brewery with a whole lot of character. Situated next to the railroad tracks it seems the best seats in the house are, well, outside on a porch that looks out past the tracks and into the mountains. That said, we did sidle up to the bar so that we can talk with Penny, the long-time owner and brewmaster. We split a sample platter and discovered that each beer was surprisingly different from each other – there didn’t seem to be a “house” flavor that most breweries have. In addition, the appearance of each beer varied wildly – some clear, some hazy, some pale and some dark. The artwork for each beer was unique enough to prompt questions. Turns out all the artwork is done by Penny’s son – who was, himself, enjoying a pint in the dining area. There was no clear favorite here, the beers were just fantastic. In addition, Portneuf Valley makes some of the best pizza I’ve run across in a brewpub – and folks, that’s saying something. You might tell without saying, but this was a difficult place to leave.

In all there is no stop I regretted making – the breweries overall were a great way to break up a long drive. On top of that, with BeerMapping.com and the site’s mobile edition (m.beermapping.com) getting to and from the breweries could not be easier. I trust you’ve stumbled across this site before, but if  you have any travel plans in the near future you owe it to yourself to use this tool to make your beer breaks that much easier.

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