Lewis & Clark Brewing - Helena, MT

The Lewis & Clark Brewing tap room, the first stop on the first trip, the adventure begins. I’ll quickly set the scene. I just wrapped up a long week of work, its 95 degrees outside, I just drove through 90 miles of Montana summer road construction, and my brother, the honorary co-pilot for this grand inaugural adventure, is a half-hour late. By the time he finally arrives in Helena and make it to the Lewis and Clark tap room, we are both more than a little testy. And like magic, as soon as we pass through the doors of L&C, this all subsides and we are both truly like kids in a candy store.

With a line-up featuring three IPA’s, a handful of regulars, and three seasonal, L&C has a beer for every taste. Unfortunately not all beers brewed by L&C are equal and those with a taste for IPA’s will enjoy L&C much more than those who enjoy their maltier cousins. The first thing that you notice when entering L&C is the ever popular tap room chalk board o’ beers on tap. Unlike the traditional tap room chalk board o’ beers, L&C lists the keg date and IBU’s of each beer along with the name and alcohol percentage, a nice touch. The friendly staff allowed us to taste nearly every beer without ever once giving the rolled eyes “you want ANOTHER taster look” or ever mentioning price. Additionally, we were offered a couple special mixes, like the tri-PA, an interesting mix of the three IPA’s and a mix of their delicious Weizenbock and Porter. The IPA’s are definitely the stars of L&C Brewing, as was the seasonal Weizenbock. The dark beers are not good, and lighter options are just okay. L&C does IPA’s well and has wisely features multiple varieties at any one time in the tap room. The friendly & knowledgeable staff and excellent taster policy is definitely worthy of a sizable tip.

The tap room is conveniently located adjacent to the vibrant Helena’s Great Northern Town Center and across the road from the campus of Carroll College. A bike rack, plenty of parking and the downtown location make L&C accessible via multiple modes of transportation. Inside L&C is nothing special – other than the previously mentioned chalk board o’ beers. Music that is a little too loud, an oddly placed and completely unnecessary TV, and lack of outdoor space did not score any points with us, while the free popcorn, friendly staff, and the cool temp of the basement were a couple of the highlights inside. Both kids and dogs are welcome, and peanut shells are expected to be swept off the table top directly on to the floor.

We entered L&C hot, cranky, and a little tired, we left happy, comfortable, and excited for the journey we had just began. This is what a great tap room is all about. It is a place where you can go, drink a couple of really good beers, share some laughs with good people, eat some popcorn, and leave feeling much better than you might have when you arrived.

Scores:
Beer: 79 of 100
Atmosphere: 31 of 55
People (staff & clientele): 35 of 45
Total: 145 of 200 – 3.5 Pints
http://lewisandclarkbrewing.com
http://www.facebook.com/LewisandClark