USA, MT: Bridger Brewing coming close to maxing out its capacity with sales in tap room
This year, patrons of Bridger Brewing will drink more than 1,600 barrels of beer. That makes co-owner David Breck happy, but it doesn’t leave much beer for distribution beyond the tasting room, Great Falls Tribune reported.
“We’re going to be coming close to maxing out our capacity with sales in the tap room,” Breck said. “To do any off-site sales of any consequence, we’re going to need an off-site facility. This isn’t big enough for a production brewery.”
The brewery has a 10-barrel system now and aims to expand to 40 to 50, which would allow for canning, kegs and distribution.
“We’ve been growing 20 to 30 percent per year at the pub, and getting into the packaging side is a whole different ball game,” he said. “The quality of our beer will speak for itself.”
Vigilante IPA is “always king around here,” but the Lee Metcalf Pale Ale and seasonals are also popular. The most ardent cult following may be Antilogy Black IPA.
“When we’re out of that we get the most discourse from our guests, those regulars who have been coming a long time,” Breck said. “They’re bummed, but they have a backup plan.”
A new spring beer is the Mad Mile Cream Ale, which recently won best beer at the Tap Into Montana brew festival in Livingston. The beer is named for a stretch of whitewater on the Gallatin River and infused with cucumbers and honeydew melon.
Another seasonal coming for spring is a Rye Smile IPA, which has more of a spicy character than the typical citrus flavors of an IPA.
Summer brings Bone Dust White Ale, the Bridger take on the America-style white ale. Rich in coriander, white pepper and orange peal flavors, the ale is served in a tulip-style glass with an orange.
“We use an ale yeast for a cleaner finish, where you pick up those spices more on the end,” Breck said. “It’s pretty to look at and tastes good.”
The Summer Shandy is made with fresh lemonade.
Bridger Brewing is across 11th Avenue from Montana State University’s Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, but the brewery attracts a wide range of patrons.
“We would not be mistaken for a college bar,” Breck said. “We get a lot of college students in here, and they’re welcome. The atmosphere is cool enough for college kids but doesn’t detour families on this side of town, business people and MSU professors from coming in.”
Bridger Brewing opened in 2013, and the owners are looking to expand the production capacity.
The brewery has a few television screens but not so many as to hypnotize people. Breck tends to screen fly-fishing and skiing videos.
“People have good conversations here,” he said.
Chef Jim Eberhard makes craft pizzas to go with the brewery’s craft beer.
“Jim is as dedicated to that side as we are to the brewing side,” Breck said. “We buy as local as we can for handcrafted beer of the highest quality, and the same thing is going on in the kitchen – wheat and meat from Montana, we make all the sausages and pepperoni in house with our own spice mixes. It’s labor intensive, but it shows in the quality of the pizza.”
In this year’s best of Bozeman contest, Bridger won for best pizza (and best brewery, best local beer crafter and second-best place for a first date behind Montana Ale Works).
Breck graduated MSU in 2000 with a master’s degree in civil engineering. He co-founded Spanish Peaks Engineering & Consulting in 2007, which is about the time he and his partner started looking at opening a brewery. He worked at Snowqualmie Falls Brewery and Spanish Peaks Brewery.
“Bozeman has been good to us,” Breck said. Bridger repays that by sponsoring events in the community and with Monday evenings’ “Pints with Purpose,” with $1 from each pint going to charity.
28 May, 2016
