Missoula Brewery Trail

KettleHouse Brewing's usually packed, hard-to-find taproom and production facility on Myrtle Street is the oldest and smallest of the bunch and is a good starting point. Find it by turning east off S. Higgins Avenue, going one block to Myrtle Street and turning left (south). This is what you could describe as a classic, start-up tasting room and microbrewery. As you complete this two-day tour, you'll see how times have changed for Montana breweries.

From KettleHouse's Myrtle Street location, get back on S. Higgins, turn north (left), go over the Higgins Avenue Bridge and one block later, turn west (left) on West Broadway Street. Stay on it for about 15 blocks until you get to North Russell Street. Turn south (left) here and go over the Clark Fork River again on the Russell Street Bridge and then go a long block and take the first right (west) on Montana Avenue. You'll see Bayern Brewing on your left a block later.

After enjoying Bayern's recently expanded facility, get back on West Broadway. Turn west (left) on West Broadway and stay on it all the way to the airport, but instead of turning left into the airport, turn right (north) on Airway Boulevard and go two long blocks to West Harrier, which about a block before I-90. Turn left (west) on West Harrier, go one block, and you'll see Big Sky Brewing on your left, a huge facility compared to any other brewery in Montana and definitely way over the concept of "microbrew." Ask for a free tour and you'll know why.

After getting a few free samples at Big Sky Brewing (they can't sell pints there, but you can get a grower filled), have your designated driver get on the freeway at the nearby Airport Boulevard entrance and head east to the Orange Street exit. As you head into town, you'll see an underpass coming up, but before you reach it, take the second left (east), which is only a block and a half from the freeway ramp, on North 2nd Street West. After one block, turn right (south) on Woody Street, and then after one more block, take another right and on North 1st Street West, and you'll see Ketthouse's spiffy new tasting room and production facility on your left a half-block later.

From KettleHouse's Myrtle Street location, get back on S. Higgins, turn north (left), go over the Higgins Avenue Bridge and one block later, turn west (left) on West Broadway Street. Stay on it for about 15 blocks until you get to North Russell Street. Turn south (left) here and go over the Clark Fork River again on the Russell Street Bridge and then go a long block and take the first right (west) on Montana Avenue. You'll see Bayern Brewing on your left a block later.

From Bayern's relatively new and recently expanded facility, get back on West Broadway. Turn west (left) and stay on it all the way to the airport, but instead of turning left into the airport, turn right (north) on Airway Boulevard and go two long blocks to West Harrier, which about a block before getting onto I-90. Turn left (west) on West Harrier, go one block, and you'll see Big Sky Brewing on your left, a huge facility compared to any other brewery in Montana and definitely way over the concept of "microbrew." Ask for a free tour and you'll know why.

After getting a few free samples at Big Sky Brewing (they don't sell pints there), jump on the freeway and head east back toward Missoula. Take the Orange Street Exit. As you head into town, you'll see an underpass coming up and on it is the brand new KettleHouse production facility and tasting room. Take the second left (east), which is only a block and a half from the freeway ramp, on North 2nd Street West. After one block, turn right (south) on Woody Street, and then after one more block, take another right and on North 1st Street West, and you'll see it on your left a half-block later.

After a pint and some good cheer at KettleHouse's new facility, call it a night and enjoy a nice dinner at one of Missoula's many fine restaurants.

You'll have spare time in the morning, so you might want visit a couple terrific visitor centers, both on Reserve Street. Just to the north, under the I-90 underpass, you'll find the Elk Country Visitor Center and the headquarters of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and if you want to catch up on the history and culture of smokejumping, jump back on Reserve Street and go south for about three miles until you see the Smokejumpers Visitor Center. From here, you can follow Reserve Street down to U.S. 93 and turn south (right) to Hamilton.

When you reach Hamilton, watch for the intersection with the East Highway (also called Marcus Street). You can see Bitter Root Brewing on your left (east). Grab lunch and a sample of Bitter Root's "Last Best Brew" at the Brewer's Grill, which is in the same building and open at 11:30 am.

After lunch, take the scenic route on East Highway (State Highway 269) back to Stevensville (about 18 miles), where you'll find Montana's newest brewery, Blacksmith Brewing, on the main street of Montana's oldest community and open at 3 pm. You might end up with some extra time in Stevensville, but you can make good use of it by visiting St. Mary's Mission, built in 1841 and with the distinction of being the place "where Montana began," and Fort Owen State Park on the other side of town.

After checking out Blacksmith Brewing, which is indeed a historic but recently refurbished blacksmith shop and your sixth taproom in two days, head back to Missoula.