BEER

[CelticCat]

Trucks are being loaded next week for the first cases and kegs of KettleHouse Cold Smoke to hit the North Idaho region and Spokane valley. Odom group is the distributor. Just in time for Thanksgiving, should be plenty of giving of thanks in the month of November for those folks!

Dangit, make it to the Seattle area! Getting closer to me at least.

[Common Cat]

Anybody a fan of Fort George Brewing out there?

[RickRund]

Anybody a fan of Fort George Brewing out there?

Several spots around us in the CDA area. Will be checking it out soon.

[Common Cat]

Anybody a fan of Fort George Brewing out there?

Several spots around us in the CDA area. Will be checking it out soon.

Their City of Dreams is a rising star in the Foley household. Dang, good stuff!

[Tkostrba]

Micro: Cold Smoke(The only good thing to come out of Missoula except Brian Flagg!)
Bozone Amber during Cat/Griz weeks.

Macro:Yuengling & Son's, Inc (Great beer to drink will I am suffering down in Florida)

Brewery:Any I happen to be sitting in at any given moment!

[RickRund]

Micro: Cold Smoke(The only good thing to come out of Missoula except Brian Flagg!)
Bozone Amber during Cat/Griz weeks.

Macro:Yuengling & Son's, Inc (Great beer to drink will I am suffering down in Florida)

Brewery:Any I happen to be sitting in at any given moment!

Suffering down in Florida when some of us are sitting in the teens and twentys. That is CRUEL...

Two years ago we were sitting in Jack and Dan's in Spokane watching the CAT/griz game and noticed an ad for a Bourbon Barrel Stout from a Missoula brewery. On the way home stopped at Total Wine's in Spokane Valley and bought a bottle. LOVE the Bourbon/Whiskey Barrel Stouts. This is the only beer that I have ever dumped down the drain. Tasted like bad vinegar. Rotten crap...

Just searched and i think it was Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout from Big Sky Brewing.....

[CelticCat]

Micro: Cold Smoke(The only good thing to come out of Missoula except Brian Flagg!)
Bozone Amber during Cat/Griz weeks.

Macro:Yuengling & Son's, Inc (Great beer to drink will I am suffering down in Florida)

Brewery:Any I happen to be sitting in at any given moment!

My Dad used to be buddies with Bryan when I was growing up and I had plenty of play dates with the Flaigs, thanks for jogging my memory on that one.

[John K]

Micro: Cold Smoke(The only good thing to come out of Missoula except Brian Flagg!)
Bozone Amber during Cat/Griz weeks.

Macro:Yuengling & Son's, Inc (Great beer to drink will I am suffering down in Florida)

Brewery:Any I happen to be sitting in at any given moment!

Suffering down in Florida when some of us are sitting in the teens and twentys. That is CRUEL...

Two years ago we were sitting in Jack and Dan's in Spokane watching the CAT/griz game and noticed an ad for a Bourbon Barrel Stout from a Missoula brewery. On the way home stopped at Total Wine's in Spokane Valley and bought a bottle. LOVE the Bourbon/Whiskey Barrel Stouts. This is the only beer that I have ever dumped down the drain. Tasted like bad vinegar. Rotten crap...

Just searched and i think it was Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout from Big Sky Brewing.....

I've never really been a big fan of any of the beers from Big Sky Brewing.

[Bobcatsinmso]

Like the university of missoula's enrollment, Big sky brewing has had a steady decline in volume. They have gone from their peak years ago at 44,000 bbl to just under 30,000 bbl in 2019. They suffer from old lines of beers that have tailed off without any real new decent beers, (not that they had any to begin with). They have attempted to revive their business with the seltzer push, with less than stellar results as their seltzer product is crap compared to Truly, White Claw etc, but then IMO seltzers overall are disgusting beverages catering to the lower level of alcohol consumers. They currently have a buy-out offer on the table from Diageo, a British alcohol conglomerate, and they will have to decide in April weather or not to capitulate to the corporate beverage giants or continue on as an independent and continue their slow demise. I would shed no tears as to whichever option they choose, as I do not spend a dime on their product and never will.

[CelticCat]

Like the university of missoula's enrollment, Big sky brewing has had a steady decline in volume. They have gone from their peak years ago at 44,000 bbl to just under 30,000 bbl in 2019. They suffer from old lines of beers that have tailed off without any real new decent beers, (not that they had any to begin with). They have attempted to revive their business with the seltzer push, with less than stellar results as their seltzer product is crap compared to Truly, White Claw etc, but then IMO seltzers overall are disgusting beverages catering to the lower level of alcohol consumers. They currently have a buy-out offer on the table from Diageo, a British alcohol conglomerate, and they will have to decide in April weather or not to capitulate to the corporate beverage giants or continue on as an independent and continue their slow demise. I would shed no tears as to whichever option they choose, as I do not spend a dime on their product and never will.

Who pissed in your Cheerios?

Moose Drool and and Trout Slayer are solid enough beers. Can't really speak for the rest.

What exactly is a "lower level of alcohol consumer" anyway?

[ilovethecats]

Like the university of missoula's enrollment, Big sky brewing has had a steady decline in volume. They have gone from their peak years ago at 44,000 bbl to just under 30,000 bbl in 2019. They suffer from old lines of beers that have tailed off without any real new decent beers, (not that they had any to begin with). They have attempted to revive their business with the seltzer push, with less than stellar results as their seltzer product is crap compared to Truly, White Claw etc, but then IMO seltzers overall are disgusting beverages catering to the lower level of alcohol consumers. They currently have a buy-out offer on the table from Diageo, a British alcohol conglomerate, and they will have to decide in April weather or not to capitulate to the corporate beverage giants or continue on as an independent and continue their slow demise. I would shed no tears as to whichever option they choose, as I do not spend a dime on their product and never will.

Who pissed in your Cheerios?

Moose Drool and and Trout Slayer are solid enough beers. Can't really speak for the rest.

What exactly is a "lower level of alcohol consumer" anyway?

That is why this is one of my favorite threads on this site! I've seen a lot of trash talk here. Internet tough guys on a plethora of topics. Name calling and the like. But trash talking about what other fans might be drinking is by far my favorite!

Honestly, the only thing I would like to see is maybe some charts or graphs that show the parallels to beer consumed and toughness. Or perhaps beer consumed and "level of alcohol consumer". That one is gold.

[RickRund]

Might have been on Monday there was a quick blip on FOX Business on the White Claw, etc craze... Usage is up 226% while beer usage is up 1%...

[ilovethecats]

Might have been on Monday there was a quick blip on FOX Business on the White Claw, etc craze... Usage is up 226% while beer usage is up 1%...

Ya, "true" men and "real" beer drinkers aside, seltzers in general and white claw specifically are just crushing all other categories and companies. So even if it is the most repulsive, disgusting thing you can put in your mouth...millions of people are!

You know who else had a record breaking year? Michelob Ultra. Prepare yourself for every company you can think of coming up with low-cal, low-carb, "healthy" options.

[WeedKillinCat]

Great Northern in Whitefish is closing which i find surprising:

https://www.kpax.com/news/local-news/fl ... any-closes

[Prodigal Cat]

Snow Hop in Helena is closing as well and I know of a few others that are in trouble. Elk Ridge in Deer Lodge and Lolo Peak are both for sale. I believe Mt has come close to its saturation point in terms of breweries. We will still get new ones, people always are willing to think "we'll be different" but once they open and realize it wont be a money printing operation and it requires 7 days of work the luster disappears quickly. Only those that have beer dialed, good atmosphere, and aren't financially hanging by a thread will stay solvent.

Seltzer is definitely a growing segment but beer always has these. Hazy IPA was the growth darling prior to white claw. Sierra Nevada's Hazy Little Thing has been a savior of sorts for their brand that was growing tired. Seltzers will peak though. Heck Zima all but disappeared and that's what it was. It's easy to grow 200% when the market share was almost zilch the year prior. The only newer brand that genuinely made a mark on the standard top dogs is, as someone mentioned, is Mich Ultra.

[Prodigal Cat]

I should also add that not all closings were due to financial closing. It seems the GN brewery in Whitefish was more of an eviction than the brewery failing. Moving a brewery is crazy expensive.

[John K]

I should also add that not all closings were due to financial closing. It seems the GN brewery in Whitefish was more of an eviction than the brewery failing. Moving a brewery is crazy expensive.

It's been a couple years ago now, but that's what happened with Bowser here in GF as well. They got evicted, and chose to just close their doors, rather than moving.

[Common Cat]

Just a clarification, Moose Drool is an all time great, no matter how other beers at Big Sky stack up. That is no question.

[Common Cat]

What are we stock piling?

[Bobcat80]

Apocalypse IPA.....