By RYAN NEWHOUSE
This weekend kegs will be tapped and poured at the annual Seeley Lake Brew Fest. The event will kick off on Friday October 7 at 7:00 p.m. with a unique presentation by Draught Works, Missoula’s newest craft brewery, during which they will explain their brewing process and present a few of their brews, including the Shadow Caster Alt. Following the presentation on Friday night, participants will have the chance to join in on a Seeley Lake Pub Crawl in downtown Seeley Lake.
On Saturday, the Brew Fest and Tamarack Festival swing into high gear at the One-Stop Lawn from
11:00 – 6:30 p.m. At 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, brew fest goers can bring out their glass growlers to be filled, or you can buy one of the limited Big Sky Brewery/Seeley Lake Brew Fest growlers at the festival to fill. This idea I love, as no one wants to waste good beer!
And though the Brew Fest will be over, on Sunday October 9 the Tamarack Festival will continue from 10:00 – 3:00 p.m.
I haven’t found a full list of the breweries pouring at the event, but expect all the usual suspects, including wine from the Missoula Winery and Event Center. Many of the local hotels and cabins are offering specials on lodging, but they may be filling quickly.
To attend the Seeley Lake Brew Fest, tickets run $15 each and include a commemorative pint glass and two drink tickets. Each additional drink ticket runs $2. Limited Brew Fest t-shirts will be available for purchase for $18.
The Seeley Lake area is one of my favorite places to spend a weekend for camping, canoeing and hiking. I encourage all of you to check it out, but be safe and carpool if you can.
Here’s a complete list of the weekend’s activities:
Friday Oct. 7
7:00 PM Draught Works Brewery will be presenting their beer and explaining their brewing process at Double Arrow Resort
-Afterwards it’s to downtown Seeley Lake where we will begin the pub crawl
Saturday Oct. 8
8AM Seeley Lake Challenge Summer Biathlon (www.raceseeley-montana.info)
10AM-4PM Alpine Artisans Tour of the Arts
11AM-5PM Classic Car Show and Shine Throughout Town Sign Up At Parts Plus
11AM-6:30PM Brew Fest and Tamarack Festival at One-Stop Lawn. Live Music! Wine Bar! Food! Arts and Crafts!
6PM Growler Fill Bring Your Own Growlers or Buy One of Our Big Sky Brewery/Seeley Lake Brew Fest Growlers to Fill!
6:30PM Dinner and Beverages Throughout Seeley Lake
Sunday Oct. 9
10AM-3PM Tamarack Festival
10AM-2PM Littlebird’s Marketplace Harvest Market
11AM-4PM Alpine Artisans Tour of the Arts
1PM Sparrow’s Vine Walkathon Fundraiser
6:30PM 2 Valley’s Stage Concert Foothills Brass Quintet at Seeley-Swan High School
For more information, call the Seeley Lake Chamber of Commerce at (406) 677-2880 or visit their website at http://www.seeleylakechamber.com.
Like this Drink It blog? Chances are you’ll like these blogs by Missoula’s Drink It expert, Ryan Newhouse: Missoula Makes Room for Draught Works Brewery, Be a Winner-Brew at Home, Have Beer Will Travel, Flathead Lake Brewing Company – Beer Pairing, Tamarack Brewing Company, Montana Whiskey and Vodka. And check out our Missoula Restaurants and Dining and Missoula Nightlife sections.
Click here to see Ryan’s “Drink It” archive.
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Ryan Newhouse has lived in Missoula since 2002 and has tipped his glass in most of the town’s establishments. He is a full-time writer, husband and parent (in no particular order) and a part-time zymurgist. He makes a mean hard cider and pairs his cocktails with dishes from his blog, Cooked Animals: Recipes for Wild Game.