WEST YELLOWSTONE – Breweries and beer lovers gathered on Oct. 17 at the West Yellowstone Holiday Inn to celebrate craft beer. During the fifth annual Beer Fest in West, participants tasted unlimited samples from 14 breweries and two distilleries, while enjoying classic German cuisine and local music.
While most of the vendors hailed from Montana and Wyoming, Upslope Brewery from Boulder, Colo., and Cincinnati’s Angry Orchard Cider brought new faces and flavors to the mix.
Montana breweries in attendance included Big Sky Brewing Co., Red Lodge Ales, Lewis & Clark Brewing Company, Outlaw Brewing, and Madison River Brewing Co. Everything from smooth golden ales to bock lagers to seasonal specialties were available to sip out of a special tasting stein that came with event entry.
New to this year’s event was the addition of the “HomeBrew Fest in West” competition. Home brewers poured their best beer in various categories including pale ale, Scottish ale, stout/porter, IPA, and spiced, vying for a $250 beer kit gift card. Nicholas Matulich took home first place with his pale bitter European beer named Rheinhart; Chris King came in second for his spiced Mayan Porter; and Derek Wolf placed third with his aptly named Scottish ale, Great Scott.
For those hoping to try some award-winning brews, there was no shortage at Beer Fest. Madison River took home a gold medal in early October for its Cold Smoke Scotch Ale at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
In 2014, Draught Works won very small brewery and very small brewing company brewer of the year at GABF. The Missoula-based brewery also took home the gold last year for their American-style strong pale ale called Scepter Head IPA.
Across the venue from Draught Works was another notable award winner: Jackson, Wyo.’s Snake River Brewing Co. At the 2010 GABF, Snake River received a silver medal for their small-batch brew Rolling Thunder Dortmunder. Derek Beardsley, the brewery’s director of sales, said this traditional lager emulates those found in Dortmund, Germany, and explained why Beer Fest in West is a must-attend event for his company.
“While we may be in Jackson, Yellowstone is our backyard and we love the opportunity to share our beer with everyone,” Beardsley said.
Accompanying libations were pretzels and mustard cheese dip, bison brats topped with sauerkraut, and beer cheese soup. Big Sky bluegrass band Gallatin Grass Project kept the crowd moving before Ennis-based band Fool’s Gold closed down the event with classic rock covers.
CALL FOR ARTISTS: Paint anytime from June 1-28EXHIBITION & SALE: June 29 - July 31Calling all artists and nature
enthusiasts! Get
more
Event Details
CALL FOR ARTISTS: Paint anytime from June 1-28
EXHIBITION & SALE: June 29 – July 31
Calling all artists and nature
enthusiasts! Get your paintbrushes ready for an unforgettable experience at
Paint Under the Big Sky, a thrilling plein air event set against the stunning
backdrop of Big Sky, MT, Chet Huntley’s “The Last Best Place”. Don’t
miss this chance to unleash your creativity and be part of a vibrant artistic community.
What is Paint Under the Big Sky? PUBS is a plein air event for all painters of any ability (over the age of 16). Sponsored by the Big Sky Artist’s Studio & Gallery and the Big Sky Artists Collective, a non-profit organization whose mission is to foster a strong community of artists in the Big Sky area, the paint-out hopes to introduce painters to our extraordinary landscape for an opportunity to create, meet and have fun. Plein air painters record our landscape for generations to come.
Artists are invited to travel to Big
Sky, MT to paint anytime between Jun 1 – 28, and participate in the exhibition
and sale of paintings from June 29 – July 31.
Come join us! We have a great
place to paint and are welcoming and fun!
Don’t miss out!
Time
June 1 (Saturday) 1:00 am - July 31 (Wednesday) 11:55 pm
Embrace the freedom and
serenity of movement in nature with our rejuvenating morning yoga class on the
Mountain Lawn. Allow the fresh mountain air and gentle guided yoga practice
Event Details
Embrace the freedom and
serenity of movement in nature with our rejuvenating morning yoga class on the
Mountain Lawn. Allow the fresh mountain air and gentle guided yoga practice to
invigorate your day of adventure ahead. Complimentary.Weather
permitting.
Time
June 1 (Saturday) 7:00 am - August 31 (Saturday) 7:00 am
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
Event Details
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
Time
June 10 (Monday) 6:00 pm - August 19 (Monday) 6:00 pm
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
Event Details
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
Time
June 17 (Monday) 6:00 pm - August 26 (Monday) 6:00 pm