This month we travel west 9 miles on the frontage road to Belgrade, Montana where the Madison River Brewery is located in an unassuming row of industrial buildings just west and across the road from the entrance to the Gallatin Field airport. There is a grain hopper next to the building adjacent to the frontage road (look for it) with the Madison River logo on it.  I had a little trouble finding the place, then trouble figuring out how to turn into the place, but two passes later I discovered that one enters on the road to the east of the complex and drives along the parking area between the building and the frontage road. There is plenty of parking.

The entrance is rather unassuming too, but when you open the door, there is a large warm and inviting tasting room. The smell of beer being brewed permeates the air. There are lots of awards upon the walls, a large collection of older bottles from a bygone era, and also a gift shop area with baseball hats, mugs, t-shirts, etc.

Back in February, Madison River Brewery’s Frostbite Barley Wine scored first place in the Coles 6th Annual Barley Wine Competition. To be honest, I did not try the Frostbite, but it must be good to win first place. Currently on tap in the taproom are the Copper John Scotch Ale, Hop Juice IPA, Hopper Pale, Maddy Light, and the Salmon Fly Honey Rye. The Salmon Fly is my favorite beer from Madison River Brewing. Another one that I like and which a lot of my acquaintances speak highly of is the Copper John Scotch. There are also several seasonal ales of which one or two are in production at any given time. Each beer has a unique and distinct taste.

Howard McMurray is the founder and part owner, he began brewing many years ago and has worked at other breweries around the country. He started Madison River Brewing in September, 2004, and loves making beer when he’s not playing hockey or taking the occasional day off to ski. Howard has taken great care in selecting the best hops from the Yakima area of Washington State. The other ingredients; honey, wheat, barley, etc are all the best selected made in Montana ingredients (the water is Belgrade’s best). This extra care in selection of ingredients and attention to detail can be observed in the final product. We in the Gallatin Valley are fortunate that Howard chose this region of the country to start up his brewery business.

Bruce Jones recently became a co-owner along with Howard and manages more of the business side of the company so that Howard isn’t working 12*7*52. The head brewer is Doug Fry who is a very outgoing and fun person who promotes the business, presses the flesh, etc. I met Doug and Bruce recently at the brew festival in Virginia City, the crowd there was quite excited with the Madison River product line.

A tour of the inside of the facility led by Howard shows it to be quite large, and it measures out at 16,000 square feet. On the day I visited, it was 98 degrees outside, so I kind of slowed down when going through the large walk-in fridge holding all of the kegs of beer. It felt great! There is a full bottling production line bottling 12 and 22 oz bottles, and the 12 employees working at Madison river produce about 550 barrels of beer per month. Once again, beer production is helping keep our local economy strong and vibrant! That’s a good thing!

The bottled product can be found in most local and regional grocery stores, and the on-tap version at most of the local drinking establishments in the Bozeman area, particularly at Montana Aleworks. Kegs can also be purchased directly from Madison River Brewing and make an awesome birthday present or wedding reception gift!

Distribution of Madison River beers currently covers Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and the website lists well over 300 locations where Madison River can be purchased. Howard has no immediate plans for expansion, and business is good. So for a fun adventure during these hot August afternoons, seek out and stop by the Madison River Brewing tasting room and try some of the best beers out there. You’ll likely find a favorite new brew.
More information about Madison River Brewing can be found online at MadisonRiverBrewing.com. The Taproom is open daily from 2pm until 8pm.

Mike Comstock is an MSU graduate; software engineer by day, math tutor in the evenings, musician on the weekends, and freelance writer in his spare time.

Madison River Brewing Company
20900 Frontage Road Building B, Belgrade, MT 59714
406-388-0322