Cheers to 30 Years of Garden City BrewFest!
Cheers to 30 Years of Garden City BrewFest!
Montana’s Original BrewFest Coming Up Saturday, May 4th
Often imitated but never replicated, Montana’s original and largest beer festival will take place Saturday, May 4 in Caras Park in Downtown Missoula. This year’s event will feature over 50 beers, ciders, hard seltzers, and wines. Garden City BrewFest will take place from 12-7 pm and features local food trucks and live music from three Missoula-based bands.
Kicking of the festival on stage is bluegrass band Blue Point (12-2pm). Next, the country group Tanner Laws Band will be on stage 2:30-4:30pm. Closing out the night, Kyle Curtis and the Promised Lands bring their soul and funk sound to the BrewFest stage from 5-7pm.
While Garden City BrewFest is admission free for all to enjoy, those interested in sampling the brews can purchase a 7-ounce commemorative glass, wristband, and four tokens for $20. Additional tokens are 2 for $3.00. In celebration of the 30th anniversary, three hundred 12-ounce glass steins will be available for purchase at $30, which includes the wristband and four tokens. Food can also be purchased from some of Missoula’s favorite food vendors: Big Dipper Ice Cream, Clove Cart Pizza, M-80 Chicken, Servin’ Thyme, and newcomer Sista Elmmy. The Sentinel Kiwanis Club will also be serving up brats.
One aspect that sets this event apart from others around Missoula is the Garden City Beer Awards, judged and provided by Missoula’s local brewing club, the Zoo City Zymurgists, who sample and judge each beer for a variety of awards that will be presented around 4:30pm.
New this year is the Brew Games Cornhole Tournament organized by students in the University of Montana Entertainment Management (UMEM) program.
“This is a great opportunity for students to have hands-on experience organizing an event, and it allows us to expand what is offered during Garden City BrewFest,” said Kristen Sackett, Marketing & Events Director for the Downtown Missoula Partnership. “It’s important that we continue to strengthen relationships between Downtown and the campus community by providing these kinds of opportunities for students. We’re grateful that UMEM approached us about a collaboration.” Two-person teams can still register at a cost of $10.00.
Started in 1992, the event was originally called BRIW Fest, as the creators of the event were Bayern Brewing, the Rhinoceros, the Iron Horse and Worden’s Market. It was the first brewfest in recent Montana history and offered special beers that were not typically available for purchase. The event was gifted to the Missoula Downtown Association in 2003 and has served as a major fundraiser for the organization’s projects and programs.
Major sponsors for this year’s Garden City BrewFest include Bayern Brewing, Stockman Bank, Trail 103.3, MariMint, Revolvr, TDS Fiber, and Windfall.
Garden City BrewFest coincides with opening day of the Saturday Markets in Downtown Missoula. Community members are encouraged to bike, walk, or utilize Mountain Line to travel to events. If driving, ample parking is available in the Central Park, Park Place, and ROAM parking garages. Parking is free throughout Downtown on weekends. Garden City BrewFest attendees are encouraged to drink responsibly and get a safe ride home. For more information, visit www.missouladowntown.com/garden-city-brewfest or call the Downtown Missoula Partnership at 406-543-4238.
30th Annual Garden City BrewFest
Official Beer, Cider, Seltzer, and Wine List
MISSOULA AREA BREWERIES
Brewery Beer Location
Bayern Brewing Festival Pilsner Missoula, MT
Bayern Brewing Citra Dump Truck Missoula, MT
Bayern Brewing Schwarzbier Missoula, MT
Bayern Brewing Montana Helles Missoula, MT
Big Sky Brewing Summer Honey Missoula, MT
Big Sky Brewing Juicy Mango Shake a Day Missoula, MT
Conflux Brewing Alburg Vienna Lager Ale Missoula, MT
Conflux Brewing Set You Free Pale Ale Missoula, MT
Cranky Sam Public House Rye Rye Baby Rice Lager Missoula, MT
Cranky Sam Public House Peaks to Prairie Hazy IPA Missoula, MT
Draught Works Lemon Meringue Sour Missoula, MT
Draught Works Sweet Heat Mango Habernero IPA Missoula, MT
GILD Brewing Helles Lager Missoula, MT
GILD Brewing Rice Cold Beer Missoula, MT
Great Burn Brewing Fuego Grande Mexican Lager Missoula, MT
Great Burn Brewing Jasmine Green Tea IPA Missoula, MT
Highlander Brewery Guavasaurus Missoula, MT
Highlander Brewery Tangerine Squeezer Missoula, MT
Imagination Brewing Return of the Grizzly Pale Ale Missoula, MT
Kettlehouse Brewery 56 Counties Missoula, MT
Kettlehouse Brewery Great Haze in the Sky Hazy IPA Missoula, MT
Kettlehouse Brewery Stout Missoula, MT
Lolo Peak Brewing Hazy IPA Lolo, MT
Lolo Peak Brewing Bulldog Blonde Lolo, MT
MONTANA BREWERIES
Brewery Beer Location
Bias Brewing Rice Rice Baby Lager Kalispell, MT
Bias Brewing Jewel Basin IPA Kalispell, MT
Cabinet Mountain Brewing Co. Hoodoo Hefe Libby, MT
Harvest Moon Brewing Co. Beltian White Belt, MT
Jeremiah Johnson Hazy Pale Ale Great Falls, MT
Lewis and Clark Brewing Prickly Pear Pale Ale Helena, MT
Lewis and Clark Brewing Halo Huckleberry Hefeweizen Helena, MT
Meadowlark Brewing Peach Wheat Sidney, MT
Mountains Walking Sky Flowers Indica Pale Ale Bozeman, MT
Neptune’s Brewery Pine Creek Pale Ale Livingston, MT
New Hokkaido Beverage Co. Yamabiko Rice Lager Bozeman, MT
Outlaw Brewing Yuppi Hammer Bozeman, MT
Sacred Waters Brewing Co. Hungry Horse Hazy IPA Kalispell, MT
Tamarack Brewing Co. Big EZ Hazy Double IPA Lakeside, MT/Missoula, MT
Tamarack Brewing Co. Smooth Operator Oat Stout Lakeside, MT/Missoula, MT
U.S. BREWERIES
Brewery Beer Location
10 Barrel Brewing Profuse Juice Boise, ID
Bell’s Brewery Oberon Kalamazoo, MI
Bombastic Brewing Shilver Coffee Stout Hayden, ID
Boulevard Brewing Tropic Slam Sour Kansas City, MO
Breakside Brewery Stars on Ice DIPA Portland, OR
Golden Road Brewing Mango Cart Los Angeles, CA
Jiant Brewing Co. Peach Hard Iced Tea Culver City, CA
Hopworks Urban Brewery Winter Ritual Cold IPA Portland, OR
Laughing Dog Brewing Huckleberry Cream Ale Ponderay, ID
INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES
Brewery Beer Location
Bitburger + Deschutes Zwickl Pilsner Germany
CIDER
Last Chance Cider Mill Flathead Cherry Cider Billings, MT
Last Chance Cider Mill Pearfection Cider Billings, MT
Stem Cider Salted Cucumber Cider Denver, CO
Summit Cider Sunrise Pineapple Cider Ponderay, ID
Tieton Cider Huckleberry Cider Yakima, WA
Tieton Cider Imperial Raspberry Cider Yakima, WA
Western Cider The Colonial Missoula, MT
Western Cider Hi-Lime Missoula, MT
SELTZER
Big Sky Brewing Co. Huckleberry Lemonade Seltzer Missoula, MT
Boulevard Brewing Co. Ginger Grape Hard Seltzer Kansas City, MO
Draught Works Water Works Citrus Cowboy Seltzer Missoula, MT
Upslope Brewing Co. Pomegranate Acai Hard Seltzer Boulder, CO