Bozeman Brewing: The Best Possible Use of an Old Pea Cannery

By Bill Schneider, 9-28-08

	Caption: The Bozeman Brewing family business team: Lisa, Todd and Morgan.

Todd Scott, owner and brewmaster at Bozeman Brewing Company thinks I have the world's second best job, traveling around visiting microbreweries, tasting some local brew, and writing about it, but of course, he also believes he has the best job, making that beer.

He is, in fact, so passionate about his job and his product that he mixed some of the chocolate malt he uses to make his Plum St. Porter with the drywall texture when he refurbished a corner of his facility, a retired pea cannery, into his tasting room, which is, according to Scott, "is a little known fact."

I told him I could keep his secret, but couldn't vouch anybody who used the Internet, so if you see chocolate addict chewing the taproom walls, well, you'll just have to blame it on me.

When I asked Scott the standard question, how is his brewery different than the rest, he had the best answer so far: "We don't concentrate on being different; we concentrate on being the best."

But in addition to his malty-tasting taproom walls, there are differences. "We're the only Montana brewery that has its own Frisbees," he says with a grin, making his point that, in reality, there isn't that much difference among microbreweries--and perhaps giving me a little unspoken jab i.e. dumb question, Bill.

"We have as much passion," he notes, "but not more than the others."

Point taken, but Bozeman Brewing is the only brewery in Montana to offer the cool-looking Palla growlers (see photo) and that has a company crest composed of bits and pieces of the historic logos of famous Montana beers like Great Falls Select and Highlander.

And Scott believes, "We have the most drinkable amber," referring to his flagship beer, Bozone Select Amber Ale, which I can confirm, is quite tasty.

"We have a simple flavor profile," he explains, "but our beer is stronger than most."

Bozeman Brewing Company Address: 504 N. Broadway, Bozeman, MT 59715 Email: todd@bozemanbrewing.com Phone: 406.585.9142 Web site: www.bozemanbrewing.com Map: Click here Taproom Hours:4-8 pm, Monday thru Friday. 12:30-8 pm, Saturday. Closed Sundays. Author's Favorite Beer Name: Hopzone IPA

Scott worked for Spanish Peak Brewing for 11 years until 2001 when the long-time Bozeman-based brewery moved to California. He bought the equipment left behind by Spanish Peaks, hung up his own shingle, and started a race to have his first batch of local brew done before he and his wife Lisa had their first child. Their daughter, Morgan, won the race by a few days, and now, like several other Montana breweries, Bozeman Brewing is a family affair. Lisa works with Todd at the family business and gregarious, seven-year-old Morgan bounces around the facility entertaining patrons and workers.

The Scott family and a handful of employees make three basic beers and five seasonals, about 2,100 barrels of it per year. That's already more than most Montana breweries, and he notes, "We're selling all the beer we make as fast as we can make it."

That problem (if it is a problem) will soon be solved. Again, like several other Montana brewers, Scott is currently doing a major expansion, which will more than double capacity.

The expansion will allow Scott to expand his markets, but not in the way most brewers do. "We'd like to make our beers more available in our current markets," he says, "and I want our focus to be on selling beer through wholesalers and retailers."

That's in lieu of going into bottling or canning, building up taproom sales like many Montana brewers have (currently only 10 percent of his sales) or moving into new regional markets, although he expressed some interest in expanding into Helena.

Again, like most local brewers, Scott religiously follows to the rules. About the time I visited with him in Bozeman, the Montana Department of Revenue was involved in a failed attempt to make breweries close instead of stopping selling beer at 8 pm. But the Revenuers need not worry about violations at the taproom, which has an atomic clock on the wall. Scott told the story of one patron who came in at "twenty seconds after eight" and left upset when he couldn't buy beer.

For a brewery that doesn't emphasize taproom sales, Bozeman Brewing has a lot of special, community-based events to attract more customers. On Monday, Scott has a bluegrass band to serenade patrons. On Tuesday, anybody coming in with a comany t-shirt or hat gets his or her first pint for $1 ($3.50 normally). On Wednesday, anybody bringing in a non-perishable food item for Montana Food Bank also gets the first pint for a buck. On Friday from 12:30 to 3 pm, you can get growler refills for only $3 ($5 with the growler).

So, it seems, for a brewer who thinks his business isn't different than his brethren, Todd Scott certainly seems to do a lot of things differently.

To read the rest of the Microbrew Montana series, click here. To track Bill's travels, see the map of Montana Microbreweries below.
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