Music and Montana brews: what could be better?
Tap into Montana craft beer week and brew fest is back and better than ever. Combining Montana craft beer with live music and local food April 2-7, the community event continues to grow into its fourth year.
“It’s a fun and really well-put-together event, “ said Jon Berens, owner of Neptune’s Brewery. “We are proud that it’s a hometown event for us. And the breweries love it because it is put together from the perspective of a brewer. It’s definitely one of the top brew fests that we attend.”
Tap into Montana was founded by LaNette Jones, co-owner of Katabatic Brewing Company, and Rachel Anderson, owner of Markouture. “Our initial goal was to both celebrate Montana craft beer and to create a community-based event that brings people to Livingston during the shoulder season. It’s really taken off and become one of the staple annual events in Livingston and one of the premier brew fests in the state,“ said Anderson.
Touting a new location along the Yellowstone River at Miles Park, this year’s brew fest on April 7 is sure to deliver a truly authentic Livingston experience. “We’ve had to move the event to a new location every year to accommodate our growth in both attendance and the number of breweries,” Anderson said.
“The inaugural event took place at the Livingston Civic Center, year two at the Park County Fairgrounds and last year under a giant tent in the Livingston Depot parking lot. It was a tight fit!” Attendance has nearly doubled every year, forcing organizers to “get creative with our venue selections.”
“We are super excited to have the brew fest along the Yellowstone River and hope to make that our permanent home for the brew fest,” adds Anderson. “It’s a cornerstone of this community and we want to show off our beautiful little mountain town and the river that plays such a predominant role in our community.”
Craft Beer Week events happen throughout Livingston April 2-7 and include beer and sushi pairings, beer trivia, a print making and beer class, the beer mile, and the second annual Creek to Peak Soap Box derby. A full list of events is available at www.tapintomt.com/events.
Brew Fest: “It takes a village”
The celebration culminates with the brew fest, 2-7 p.m. April 7 at Miles Park.
The music line-up at the bandshell includes Ouray, a Colorado-based husband and wife indie folk rock duo, You Knew Me When (2:30 p.m.) and the recently reunited Bozeman favorite outlaw country band, The Dirty Shame (5 p.m.). Local food from Farmgirl Pizzeria and Bakery and Rancho Picante Bison Hut will be available, as well cocktails, wine and non-alcoholic drinks from The Office Lounge for those non-beer drinkers who want to come down and enjoy the music.
WindRider Shuttle will be providing a free shuttle service to the brew fest from several locations around town between 1:30 and 8 p.m. Stops at The Buckhorn, The Livingston Depot, Neptune’s Brewery, The Office Lounge will run all afternoon.
“It truly takes a village to put this event on and we’ve been fortunate to have the wide-spread support from the community on all levels – our planning committee members, our sponsors and partners, the businesses that host events during the week, the volunteers, and of course everyone that comes out to support the event, “ Anderson noted.
This year’s brewery line up includes 29 Montana breweries from all around the state. Big Sky Brewing Co. (Missoula), Bitterroot Brewery (Hamilton), Black Eagle Brewery (Black Eagle), Blacksmith Brewing (Stevensville), Bozeman Brewing Co. (Bozeman), Bridger Brewing (Bozeman), Butte Brewing Company (Butte), Cabinet Mountain Brewing Co (Libby), Canyon Creek Brewing (Billings), Dean’s Zesty Booch (Bozeman), Draught Works (Missoula), Flathead Lake Brewing (Big Fork), Gally’s Brewing (Harlowton), Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Co. (Great Falls), Kalispell Brewing Co. (Kalispell), Katabatic Brewing Co. (Livingston), Lewis & Clark Brewing (Helena), Lone Peak Brewery (Big Sky), Madison River Brewing Company (Belgrade), MAP Brewing (Bozeman), Mighty Mo Brew (Great Falls), Mountains Walking Brewery (Bozeman), Muddy Creek Brewery (Butte), Neptune’s Brewery (Livingston), Outlaw Brewing (Bozeman), Philipsburg Brewing (Philipsburg), Ten Mile Creek Brewery (Helena), Triple Dog Brewing (Havre), and White Dog Brewing (Bozeman).
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit tapintomt.com.