As I
returned from a weekend in Virginia City, Montana, and attending the Dog &
Grog Brewfest, I detoured southwest to Dillon, Montana, and its new brewery, Beaverhead
Brewing Company. Having been open about five weeks already, owner/head
brewer, Brett Maki, says, “It’s been busy, which is great.”
Brett was
born and raised in Dillon. He began brewing in Seattle 13 years earlier after his
wife surprised him with a homebrew kit for his birthday. After only three
months he got the brewing bug and went to work for Pyramid Brewery, washing
tanks and driving a forklift.
After
Pyramid Brewery closed in Seattle, Brett wasn’t about to give up his new art.
He started working for Georgetown Brewing and soon became
its head brewer.
In 2011,
Brett and his family moved back home. He thought his hometown should have a
brewery again. Yes, again. The original Dillon brewery was also called
Beaverhead Brewing Company, and it operated in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries. This brewery, like many many others, closed in
1919 with Prohibition.
The
modern-day Beaverhead Brewing Company is beautifully situated in a former car
dealership, and though already quite spacious, Brett has room to grow his
brewery should demand continue to increase.
“We brew on
a custom seven-barrel system,” says Brett. A friend of his at Worldwide
Stainless Inc. manufactured the brew system, but Brett himself ordered every
single working part to put the system together.
Brett Maki and his custom system. |
As for
demand for his beer, it’s there. He has supplied kegs to Mac’s Last
Cast Bar, just down the street from the brewery. “But I’ve already gotten
calls from Butte and Bozeman,” says Brett. “I just want to get one thing down at
a time.”
Beaverhead
Brewing Company’s first brewfest will be at the Bale Brewfest in Virginia City
on August 9. Brett has family in the area and knows the ladies who run the Bale
of Hay Saloon. If you’re in the area, Virginia City and the Bale are worth a
visit!
As for Brett’s
approach to making beer, he says, “I want to make solid beers. I’m really not
into fruit or strange brews.” And solid beers he has made. I tried all he had
on tap and solid was the word I would use to describe them.
A partial flight at the brewery. |
Beaverhead
Brewing Company’s summer hours are Sunday – Thursday 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and
Friday – Saturday noon to 8 p.m. Growlers can be filled until 8:30 p.m. They
are located at 218 S. Montana Street.
Great Place to stop and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is!
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