Flathead breweries battle in bracket challenge

The website Montana Mint is running a bracket this month where readers can vote on the best brewery in the state, and three of the breweries that made the Sweet 16 are in the Flathead Valley.

Styled after an NCAA March Madness bracket, the tournament began March 12 and each round of voting lasts a week. The current round features Great Northern Brewing Company, Bonsai Brewing and Tamarack Brewing Company as competitors. Voting concludes on Sunday, March 25.

Great Northern Brewing Company in Whitefish is competing this round against Tamarack Brewing of Lakeside, Bayern Brewing of Missoula and Red Lodge Ales of Red Lodge. The two Flathead breweries can’t both advance, but Great Northern currently has more than 80 percent of the online vote.

Bonsai Brewing won a wild card spot in the tournament by receiving the most write-in votes, but is now trailing to the other three breweries in their division. Bridger Brewing of Bozeman has more than 80 percent of the votes in that group, and Big Sky Brewing and Kettle House, both of Missoula, have 8 percent of the vote each. Bonsai has approximately 1 percent.

Earlier stages of the tournament included H. A. Brewing Company in Eureka, Backslope Brewing Company in Columbia Falls, Glacier Brewing Company in Polson, Flathead Lake Brewing Company in Bigfork and Cabinet Mountain Brewing in Libby.

Those interested can vote on the Montana Mint Twitter page or online at www.montana-mint.com.

Reporter Peregrine Frissell can be reached at (406) 758-4438 or pfrissell@dailyinterlake.com.