Blackfoot River Brewing - Helena, MT

Blackfoot River Brewing… it’s like an amazing neighborhood coffee shop you stumble across in a new city and your favorite hole in the wall bar in your hometown thrown together and rolled out into an amazing new facility open seven days a week for your drinking and social pleasure.

After going through a couple of tasters, we settled on the Amber Ale and Steamboat Lager to start things off. This was followed by the Extreme Stout, Tartanic Scottish Ale, and the Single Malt IPA. After sharing five pints, we did not find a single disappointing beer. Blackfoot River brews a number of beers well, but Single Malt is in a league of its own. It is an aggressively hopped northwest style IPA that is both bold and refreshing. While there may be only one superstar, all pallets will leave Blackfoot River satisfied. Staff knowledge and friendliness is good but not great, but in their defense, it was a busy Friday evening and all of the staff was working very hard.

The Blackfoot River Tap Room is located right in the heart of Downtown Helena, and is easily accessible by bike, foot, car, or even the historic Helena trolley. No matter how you get to the tap room, once you have arrived, you truly have arrived. I have been in quite a few tap rooms in my day, and I am here to tell you that this is the best layout and design of any tap room I have ever been in. Bar – Check; tables –check; cool upstairs with a view of the brewery – check; amazing upstairs deck – Check. The tap room somehow combines modern elements with a traditional Montana feel, it’s cozy with a cutting edge, hip but still classic. I could go on and on, but I will just say you should probably just check this place out.

With its strong support for local events and organizations and convenient location, it is no wonder that this tap room is a local favorite. But what truly sets this place apart is the fact that the Blackfoot River tap room has something for every Taste –the bold Single Malt IPA on the same line up as the smooth and malty Double Black Extreme Stout – Style - the comfy reminders brought over from the old tap room with the sleek new design elements – or Personality – the blue collar workers rubbing elbows with government staffers, sitting with a couple of mountain bikers fresh off the trail – is what sets this shrine apart from everywhere else. No matter what you like or where you came from, this tap room is the place to be.

Scores:
Beer: 81 of 100
Atmosphere: 49 of 55
People (staff & clientele): 33 of 45
Total: 163 of 200 – 4 Pints

http://www.blackfootriverbrewing.com/