Cheers to our many local beers
Three cheers for Great Northern Brewing Co., which is in the throes of a major expansion project at the downtown Whitefish brewery. This week, crews rolled out the old tanks and replaced them with bigger ones that will allow a 50 percent increase in beer production capacity.
We have to give a nod to Montana West Economic Development, too, for facilitating the financing through its loan program. The economic development agency is more often than not involved in the behind-the-scenes work to help local businesses grow.
Great Northern Brewing tapped into new markets statewide, which created the need for more beer.
It’s a good time for the microbrew industry in Montana, and the Flathead Valley is seeing its share of growth. The Bonsai Brewing Project, a small nano-brewery in Whitefish, recently opened its doors. In Kalispell, beer connoisseurs are anxiously awaiting the opening of Kalispell Brewing Co. on Main Street.
In Bigfork, Flathead Lake Brewing Co. is getting ready to move into its new digs at the former bowling alley near Flathead Lake. The beer business is bubbling in Libby, too, where Cabinet Mountain Brewing Co. plans to open this summer. HA Brewing near Eureka is fast becoming the newest watering hole for microbrews in those parts. And Tamarack Brewing Co. in Lakeside is growing, too; it recently opened an alehouse and grill in Missoula.
Inter Lake readers can learn more about the local brewing scene in the April 21 Flathead Business Journal, which focuses on not only the brewing industry but also the growth of local distilleries and wineries.
The beer brewing industry has a rich history in the Flathead, dating back to 1890 along the bank of Lang’s Creek, east of the once small community of Egan. Judge Jim Lang opened Lang’s Brewery there. As the story goes, the water in the creek never froze over, so it enabled brewing to continue year-round.
It’s no surprise the Flathead is a haven for microbreweries. This is an area known for its entrepreneurial spirit and a thirst (pun intended) for seizing business opportunities where they exist.
A report two years ago in the Montana Business Quarterly cited craft breweries as one of the fastest-growing manufacturing sectors in the state. In 2012 the Montana Brewers Association noted that Montana was second in the nation in the number of breweries per capita. All of this bustling beer business lately in the Flathead could well boost Montana into the No. 1 spot. That’s a statistic we’d gladly salute with a clinking of the steins.