Zymurgy.
The word itself evokes images of bubbling cauldrons, great
arterial masses of copper tubing, and some wild-haired sorcerer
distributing measured portions of tinctures, herbs, and adjuncts
into the various orifices of his belching contraption.
Indeed, the science of zymurgy, or fermentation and brewing, is
much as depicted above. And Montana, as the 8th most avid beer-
drinking state in the union, is perhaps not surprisingly blessed
with numerous zymurgists and their microbreweries. Not only do we
love our beer in Montana, but we love really good beer.
Our breweries range from the monstrous (the Wild Hare Brewery in
Hamilton) to the magnificent (the three-story glass-encased Great
Northern Brewing Company, in Whitefish). Our professional brewers
are everything from hobbyists turned pro to a gifted
German Master Brewer. The common thread that binds this eclectic
mix together, of course, is the dazzling array of excellent
Montana ales and lagers which they manage to produce.
Of course it's true that most Americans have been taught to enjoy
those watery industrial beers produced by immense corporations.
Never fear, dedicated schwag-drinkers. As Brad Martens of the
Rhino (in Missoula, 158 Ryman) points out, when the microbreweries
of the West were first getting started, they had a
tendency to brew heavier, sweeter ales. Nowadays, they've
branched out so much, from stouts to lagers to pilseners, that
there's truly something for everyone. He encourages visitors to
drop by the Rhino and taste the fifty-one excellent brews on tap
from Montana and beyond.
The Rhino is a great place to taste numerous Montana creations at
one sitting. But actually visiting the breweries themselves can
reveal a perspective on the rich behind-the-scenes alchemy which
can turn humble ingredients into a divine brew.
The Wild Hare Brewery, in Hamilton, is no exception, even if
their proudly self-described "Frankenstein operation" is a
bit out of the ordinary. The owners/brewers, Mark Engbrecht and Bob
Comeau, built the beast out of equipment and materials mostly
donated, found, or bought cheap from local dairy farmers. It's
unorthodox, yes, but they produce some delicious English-style
Ales, like their flagship Wild Hare Amber Ale (a favorite at the
Playboy Mansion, believe it or not), their caramelized Purple
Haze Porter, and the brand new Jackalope Rye.
Mark and Bob may be brewery hackers, but that in no way diminishes
their love of the craft and the product. Their loyal following
at Haigh's in Hamilton will attest to the fact that the brewers
especially revel in the beauty of the experimentation process;
some of their special brews are available only at the brewery
itself.
At the other end of the brewing equipment spectrum is Jurgen
Knoller's Bayern Brewery, in Missoula. After more than a decade
of brewery training in Germany, Jurgen became a certified
Master Brewer in 1987, and moved to Missoula shortly thereafter.
Over the past decade, he's consistently crafted some of the
finest traditional German lagers anywhere; his Pilsener has
been called "one of the best in the world" by a German magazine.
His continued success has just recently allowed him to install
his own bottling facility in Missoula, so you'll see Bayern
beers in shops as well as bars.
Jurgen's upbringing and technical expertise make him a
singularity in Montana brewing. He is an utter purist. His beer
takes twice as long to brew as most other breweries, because of
his patient interest in creating the absolute best; while most
ale breweries go from boil to keg in two weeks, Bayern lagers
take more than a month of cold storage and filtration to produce
the clear, smooth nectar which Jurgen is proud to call his own.
Jurgen feels that it's important to brew for a limited audience.
Rather than set his sights on national acclaim and distribution,
Jurgen intends to keep his operation strictly Montana based,
hence the Bayern poster which states, "Think globally. Drink
locally." This commitment to remaining in Montana is motivated
by Jurgen's deep love of producing the finest quality lagers
possible; he feels that expanding beyond Montana's borders would
necessitate pasteurization, dilution, and preservatives to
ensure shelf life. By keeping his brewery relatively small, he
can continue to use only 4 pure ingredients (barley from here in
the Northwest, hops from Germany, yeast, and water).
There are so many great breweries in Western Montana, it's
impossible to do them all justice in this short space. Rest
assured though, between Bayern's German lagers, Lang Creek's new
highly hopped Skydiver Blonde and Monster Ale, Beargrass
Brewery's specialty ales, Big Sky's hugely popular Moose Drool,
and the wealth of other fine Montana brews available at pubs and
stores available in these parts, you'll find your perfect brew.
Western Montana zymurgists wouldn't have it any other way.
[ Note: This is my beer article in its pre-edited form. Some
changes were made before the article was published in the
Missoula Independent's Explorer special edition. ]
© 1997 John Masterson