Missoula Named Among “Secretly Incredible” Beer Destinations
When I moved to Missoula about a year and a half ago, I wasn't super familiar with the town. So, I had to do some research - and I found some of the great outdoor destinations, the awesome music scene, but one thing I really took notice of? It was that there were so many dang breweries in this town.
So it's not a surprise to me that Missoula showed up on Thrillist's list of 13 "Secretly Incredible" beer destinations across the US - the cities or areas that aren't at the top of your mind, but nonetheless rival the more well-known names with their beer selection. Here's what they had to say about Missoula:
Essential brewery stops: KettleHouse, Bayern, Draughtworks
Missoula has long been a four-season outdoor recreation destination, offering river rafting, fly fishing, hiking, biking, and Nordic skiing -- with quality beer to wash down all those adventures. Recent years have seen an uptick in the number of brewpubs and taprooms (11 currently, plus a cidery and three distilleries), with a few more in planning. OddPitch, the city’s first dedicated mixed-fermentation brewery, plans to open in Midtown in late spring.
Visit in the summer and fall to catch a show at KettleHouse Brewing’s riverside amphitheater that draws nationally touring acts; this year’s lineup includes Ben Harper, Louis The Child, and Vampire Weekend. Also keep an eye out for beer festivals that take place in downtown Caras Park seemingly every summer weekend -- they’re laid-back and fun to check out after a Saturday morning trip to the nearby farmers market. And if somehow none of this is Montana enough for you, you can have your outdoor adventures and drink them too thanks to River City Brews, which loads you onto a raft and floats you down the Clark or Blackfoot river while you enjoy an expertly curated selection of local beer. Think of it as Montana's answer to those pedal-pub tours, only with more rapids.
And, as a personal sidenote, my hometown area of The Hudson Valley, New York also made the list. What I'm saying is, if I move somewhere, you should go to that place. Chances are the beer scene will be very good.