If you’ve lived in Missoula long, then you know how much Missoulians love their beer. In fact, according to CBS, Missoula is the 13^th drunkest city in the Nation. That is partially thanks to the amazing craft beer options we have all around us. Many would even say that we have the best craft beer scene in the country, which fits perfectly with our Missoula culture and vibe. A favorite pastime or Friday night for many Missoulians is going from brewery to brewery. Although very fun, this tradition began because of the fact that not many breweries in Missoula hold liquor licenses, restricting them to certain hours of operation and only serving a certain amount of alcohol to each customer. Most people in town don’t mind this because of the fun and adventure of going to several breweries.

Since most breweries don’t have liquor licenses because they are hard to get, they’ve found a loophole in the system which allows them to serve “tastes” of alcohol. Here are the best breweries in town to get tastes from. 

Kettlehouse

There are two Kettlehouse locations in Missoula. The bartenders are not only extremely nice and fun to talk to but they are so helpful and knowledgeable as well. It has a great atmosphere and their beer is to die for. Make sure Kettlehouse is on your brewery stop-by list.

Tamarack

Tamarack has great beer but it doesn’t have a local, small-town feel like Kettlehouse. If you are more into a commercial/sports bar feel with great beer, then you’ll love Tamarack.

Imagine Nation

Imagine Nation is unique in the coolest way. While it is one of the best breweries in town, it’s also a center for community transformation and education. How awesome is that? Their whole purpose is to bring the community together, create a dialogue and teach mindfulness in order to inspire social change for the better. The message is inspiring and that alone motivated people to support them. They also have free Sunday movie afternoons with popcorn. They also have live music throughout the week. This place is so much fun, it’s definitely the place to hang out.

Bayern Brewing

Established in 1987, Brayern brewing is not only the oldest microbrewery in Missoula but in all of Montana! They are a German microbrewery and they specialize in Bavarian-style beer. They are locally owned and operated and are very popular! Stop by for Oktoberfest because they celebrate it right by releasing Oktoberfest beer every year specifically for the festivities.

Big Sky

Famous for their Moose Drool Brown Ale, Big Sky has been around since the mid-1990’s and were the second Brewery to set up shop in Missoula, just behind Bayern. The craft beer is pretty standard yet still delicious. We all love the classics. They also pass out 4 free beer sample per visit. Who doesn’t love a free sample?

If you love beer, don’t miss out on some of the best breweries in the country!