Billings' first brew pub, Montana Brewing Company, was something I had anticipated for some time as I knew I was coming here for work for a few weeks. The brewery was established in 1994 and is a pretty decent sized and a nice pub right in downtown Billings. I got in late, and lucky for me the pub is open until 2am every day. I had a Philly Cheese Steak and a couple of Fatbelly Ambers, one that I got for free. Apparently, there was a shooting star passing through the area and the waitress plucked me out of my seat to go out in the street to see it. It never materialized and I got a free beer for my troubles. I finished the night with a Hooligans Irish Red, which was rather tasty.
The whole Hooligans thing had me perplexed a little. There is an attached area to the brew pub called Hooligans, that had a bar and one of the ubiquitous casinos in it. If I had gone further in I would've seen a more open area with tv's and another bar, but I didn't notice it went further back. One of the locals I saw the next day told me about it later. The t-shirts, you know my penchant for brew pub t-shirts, were all about Hooligans, which I did not come to see. I was disappointed in that and did not purchase one. I do not know why you'd advertise for Hooligans more than the first brew pub in Billings, so it confused me.
The beer I had was good and after walking around the bar area, I saw a plethora of medals the brewery had won for its beer. Another thing I liked is they support local distilleries with a selection of drinks based off of them. One thing I have always appreciated about the restaurant industry is that they don't consider each other enemies and support each other like this. The food was good, but it's hard to get a feel with just one menu item. For the time of night I was in there on a Sunday, there was a steady stream of people, but not super busy. The wait staff was a little slow in taking my order, but late on a Sunday, I was not bothered by this. I was slightly underwhelmed by the place as most breweries seem to celebrate their uniqueness a little more than this one. It came across more as a restaurant that happened to serve their own beer than a brewery with such an esteemed pedigree. None of this takes away from the beer I had, but it was lacking something I can't quite put a finger on. Craft breweries are everywhere these days and a large part of why I do this blog. Going to an establishment once is probably unfair since many things can shape your opinion in the short time you're there. I had a pretty good experience overall, the beer was good. It deserves another shot, maybe earlier on a Friday. I wasn't disappointed, just underwhelmed, but one has to remember that they've been open for 29 years and well established. They have a unique position as the first brewery in town. No one else can say that. The location is great and the beer good, I just wish Hooligans was an afterthought and the brew pub made to be the stand-out it could be. One guy's opinion.
I've come to the conclusion that having spent the majority of my life in the Midwest has shaped my beer tastes to maltier beers, like amber ales and reds. They complement burgers and pizza and are best in cooler weather. I also am not a citrus and hoppier beer guy, so IPA's are not my first choice and pilsners are too light. Though when you get too dark and heavy, like a porter, I still like it, but maybe will only want one, where amber ales are good in quantity as well. I'll drink most anything, of course, but I always seek out the ambers first. That's why I chose the amber here and then the Irish Red. If I'm going to keep doing this blog I'm going to have to resist my comfort zone and try more types.
Fatbelly has an IBU of 24 and that is why it is a smooth drinking, flavorful beer. The brewery's flagship appears to be their Whitetail Wheat, which is an unfiltered American-style wheat ale, that has won at least three gold medals. From the sound of it, it's probably a perfect summer beer. I wish I had grabbed their Scottish ale, but again, that's a no-brainer beer for me. They round out their lineup with a golden ale, a pale ale, a traditional IPA, a New England style IPA, a stout, a cider and then a handful of seasonals. Maybe next time, I'll try the wheat. Now that I've thought about it more, I think I can put a finger on what bugged me. There's nothing Montana about the brewpub. Nothing at all. I think I had an idea in my mind and it didn't fulfill it. Who says you have to do that? No one. It is about the beer after all.
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