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 from11:00 – 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
.
