Bitterroot Brewing

First things first, the area adjoining the Bitterroot Brewing facility does not claim to be a tap room, a fact that is clearly displayed by the Bitterroot Brewing Brew Pub sign affixed squarely on the roof of the establishment. I am always somewhat suspicious of “brew pubs” as they attempt to be a restaurant and a bar, often failing at both. Needless to say, we entered the brew pub skeptically. Overall, the lows outnumbered the highs, but when it was all said and done, the Bitterroot Brewing Brew Pub is a place that I would probably visit again.

The brew pub features a robust list of Bitterroot Brewing selections on tap. There are however two minor problems, 1. trying to get the attention of the overworked server behind the bar is nearly impossible, and 2. doing so in a respectable manner is nearly impossible – particularly given the neighboring competition who were a cell-phone holster and an Ed Harvey muscle shirt shy of a mid-life crisis. With a large selection of beers on tap, and the server not having time to offer meaningful suggestions, my co-pilot and I decided to tackle the 6 beer sampler - on a side note, when I see a person order the 6 (or 4 or 8 or whatever) beer sampler, I immediately think “rookie”. With sampler in hand we quickly searched for a table in a dark corner. After navigating the sampler, we decided the only beers worthy of a second round were the balanced Double IPA, crisp and refreshing Sawtooth Ale, and the citrusy RyePA (seasonal). Surprisingly, the award winning Nut Brown Ale was merely average. As pride and determination would have it, we settled on second pints of RyePA and Sawtooth ale to wash down the burnt popcorn with our dwindling expectations, keeping in mind, it’s about the whole experience, not the beer...right!

Upon entering the Bitterroot Brewing brew pub, you will be bewildered by your surroundings and wonder what’s in store. Although there is not a host stand on display (thank goodness) , it does seem more like an average restaurant than a tap room – maybe this is what defines a brew pub? There is plenty of seating away from the bar, but this space is mostly populated by people enjoying meals and overpaying for what should probably be a domestic beer. The bar area is small and right at the entry, which leads to a bit of overcrowding. A random TV displaying random extreme sports competition does little more than dampen the vibe. Equally unimpressive is the absence of a bike rack and the token outdoor space, thrown up out back, where smokers puff heaters in front of the no smoking sign . Crisp popcorn, wifi, and the fact that kids can join their parents inside scores some points in my book.

If not for the server working tirelessly at the bar area, I would have been convinced that this place was simply just another restaurant with a beer name –think a poor man’s Breckenridge brew pub for my friends in Denver. The server truly epitomized what is great about the Montana craft brew. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and even spoke highly of the Blacksmith tap room up the road in Stevensville. The beer and the space may have been average at best and the clientele unimpressive, but I left with an okay feeling about Bitterroot due in a large part to the lone server. Thus, once again I was reminded that you can never leave a tap room, especially a Montana tap room…I mean brew pub, not feeling better than when you entered.

Scores:
Beer: 63 of 100
Atmosphere: 27 of 55
People (staff & clientele): 32 of 45
Total: 122 of 200 – 3 Pints
www.bitterrootbrewing.com