Madison River Brewing Company
Montana
Selecting the state's best ingredients for their award-winning beers
Founded in 2004 by Howard McMurry, the Madison River Brewing Company is situated in southwestern Montana's Gallatin Valley in the town of Belgrade. This outdoorsman's paradise is home to Bridger Mountain skiing, scenic bike rides, hiking trails in seven nearby mountain ranges, and world-class rivers for the ultimate fishing and boating experience. The latter is where Madison River Brewing Company gets its name.
The Madison River has a reputation as one of the best places to fly-fish in the world, and because it's in the brewery's backyard, Howard McMurry chose Madison River for the name of his tiny world-class brewery. Sticking with the theme, most of his Madison River beers carry the name of a fishing fly. McMurry's first beer was the Hopper Pale Ale, which came out in September of 2005, and the Salmon Fly Honey Rye (now the brewery's flagship beer), followed shortly thereafter. These two beers continue to be the most popular offerings at the tiny craft brewery, yet nearly all the craft beers have been awarded medals at local and state competitions.
McMurry and his head brewer, Doug Frey, have over 25 years of experience in the beer business and they're both very passionate about what they're doing for the Madison River brand. They take great care in selecting the best hops from the Yakima area of Washington State, while the other ingredients (honey, wheat, barley, etc.) are among the best in the state of Montana. This extra care in selection of ingredients and attention to detail can be tasted in the finished product and it's easy to see why this tiny brewery has a passionate and loyal local following. Their tasting room is open daily and serves as a great spot to try some of the state's best craft beers.
We hope our Craft Beer Club members enjoy these 2 specially selected brews! Cheers!
Map of the area
Trivia Time
1. LET’S GO FOR A PINT! BUT, IS A PINT ALWAYS A PINT?
Everyone knows what we’re talking about – no need to define this standard. But it depends where you are as to how much beer you’ll actually get. In the US, there is no standard – bars can serve in whatever size glasses they want. In Australia, beer sizes vary from state to state – you can get a “schooey” or 425 ml in Sydney. Or, in Melbourne, you can order a “pot” which is 285 ml. The Imperial Pint of 568 ml is poured in the mother country, and there is trouble if the bartender shorts a patron! As British beer consumption has increased by 40% since 1970, there is a growing trend to introduce a 3/4 Pint – not for the sake of keeping the beer colder, but purely to encourage people to imbibe less at a sitting. Germany keeps it simple, it’s either a liter (double the size of an Imperial Pint) or a half-liter.
2. WHY DOES THE TRADITIONAL BIERSTEIN HAVE A HINGED LID?
Beer steins have been used as the traditional stoneware mug from which to drink beer, decorated with paintings, etchings and relief work. The hinged lid, however, has played a more important role. It has been said that it was implemented during the age of the Black Plague to prevent diseased flies from getting into the beer. Once the cause of the plague was discovered to be carried by infected fleas and small animals, this debunked the myth, but the hinged lid is here to stay!
