Brewery crafts special summer ale for Glacier Park summer
<p>David Brendgard brews the new Lone Walker Ale on Thursday, April 28, at Flathead Lake Brewing Company in Bigfork. The beer will be available this summer at the Flathead Lake Brewing Company and as a draft beer at the lodges in Glacier National Park. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Detail of the new Lone Walker Ale being brewed on Thursday afternoon, April 28, at the Flathead Lake Brewing Company in Bigfork. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Artwork created for the Lone Walker Ale. The beer will be available exclusively this summer at the Flathead Lake Brewing Company in Bigfork and at the lodges in Glacier National Park. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Flathead Lake Brewing Co. on April 28 began brewing its Lone Walker Ale, a summer ale named after Lone Walker Mountain southwest of Upper Two Medicine Lake in Glacier Park.
The brewery crafted this beer for the first time last summer, releasing it only at Many Glacier and Lake McDonald lodges in the park, as well as its own pubhouse in Bigfork. Those will be the only places it will be sold this summer, too.
“We made it exclusively for Glacier National Park,” Flathead Lake Brewmaster David Brendgard said. “We felt the best way to go was with a summer ale, and it’s pretty unique.”
Brendgard said the Flathead Lake Brewing crew used citra and mosaic hops to create a high-aroma beer, low in bitterness and alcohol.
“It’s what I consider an introduction to Northwest craft brewing,” he said.
Flathead Lake Brewing made the beer in collaboration with Xanterra, the concessioner for Glacier National Park lodging. Brendgard said the beer will wait for release until the lodges open in the park.
Brendgard said the Thursday brew should yield about 50 barrels of beer and he expects that supply to last until the lodges close down in mid- to late-September.
“We feel that it really represents the day hikers in Glacier Park,” Brendgard said. “It’s great that the park is embracing the local craft beer industry.”
For more information, visit www.FlatheadLakeBrewing.com.
Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.