Beer & Roaming In Such Bigness

They call it the ‘Big Sky State’ but I feel ‘Big Everything State’ suits Montana better. From big mountains, big rivers and yes–big skies, to big elk, big fish (separate your hands accordingly) and big horned sheep, Bozeman, Montana encompasses all these natural traits. Like so many other things, much of Montana life follows suit with its natural settings. As I drive into the city marked by a big letter painted on a hill, I’m passed by a big Ford truck as I read a big billboard about a deal on a big breakfast. I arrived in town just after midnight, had a cup of tea with an old friend and went to bed dreaming I was a scrambled egg floating down a syrup river in a pancake boat with a bacon paddle.

In the morning, I made my way from the van to the house where I was greeted by a familiar face and two new ones. Julie Hanen, my former Boss when I lived in Costa Rica, and I, have been friends for a long time. Between hiking in Corcovado National Park and rafting the Pacuare River, we have established a great friendship through the outdoors. Alejandro Carazo and Aisling Force were two wonderful people who had been guiding on the Salt River in Arizona and just arrived to Bozeman to work on the Gallatin River. We had simple introductions as we loaded the truck and made our way to the put-in on the Gallatin.

The Gallatin River is one of three tributaries that make up the Missouri River and was named by the famous Meriwether Lewis. While our weather wasn’t all that merry (bad joke, I know), no amount of rain, hail or sun would slow us down, all of which tried and of course failed. Bruised but not beaten, we put in at Greek Creek and made our way down the river to what’s known as ‘The Mad Mile’. Joyful conversation along with PBRs and a rogue buckle to the face made our trip both memorable, and for Julie’s upper lip, regrettable. As soon as we were dry and back in the truck, the conversation quickly went from surf holes, dump trucks and lily-dippers to I.P.A.s, ambers, and stouts.

Soon we arrived at the Bozeman Brewing Company a.k.a. ‘The Bozone’. As I walked into the tasting room, I was handed a ticket limiting my beer consumption to three beers. I thought maybe my Mom had called ahead and asked them to keep an eye on me but soon I was informed that the Montana State Law limits patrons to 48oz. of beer. While I was quite discouraged, in no way did this seem to stop anyone from filling the tasting room with stories and laughter.

Looking around the room I noticed exposed toes occupying dirty Chacos. As my eyes rose to the surface, they ran along warn pairs of Carhartts and into thirsty faces surrounded by Patagonia soft shells and homemade tuques. Not to judge people by their appearance, but I judged them by their appearance. These were outdoor enthusiasts and they were here to enjoy a quality beer with quality friends. It’s just like the activities they partake in; they look for quality levels to run a river or quality rock to climb. Bozeman Brewery is aware of this and it is one of the many reasons they thrive in Bozeman.

I met with the owner/brew master, Todd Scott, who showed me around the facility, having me taste every ingredient that goes into his beer. Afterward, he invited me into his office where we tasted what was on tap and talked about our love of beer and adventure. Todd was more than kind and that was represented in his involvement within the community. From sponsoring events and raising money for public climbing areas to brewing beer from hand-picked local hops, Bozeman Brewing Company was not only the perfect first brewery of my tour but set a big bar on my expectations of big breweries, big beers, and Montana’s big hearts.