Drink It In Montana aims to tell the story of the Montana craft beverage industry while introducing Montana locals and visitors to our communities. Montana grows some of the best grain in the country, with international labels like Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors sourcing grain from Montana. Our craft beverage industry is set apart with access to the same high-quality grains.
drink • it • in figure of speech, to pause and experience something with great enjoyment
Over the past decade the craft beverage industry has been gaining speed and is even becoming a reason for people to travel. A survey conducted by Visit Anaheim found that “tasting tourism” has increased as “seven in ten Americans have traveled to a destination specifically to sample the alcohol in the region.” Further, the survey offers that 72% of beer drinkers have spent vacation time going to a tasting at a local brewery and this trend is only increasing.
Max Pigman, Owner of Lewis & Clark Brewing Company in Helena offers “People love not only good products, they love the story behind the products and I think we have a really good story to tell.” The purpose of Drink It In Montana is to uncover those stories and share them with locals and nonresidents.
The tradition of craft beverages in Montana dates back to territorial Montana in 1863 when the Virginia Brewery (which later became the Gilbert Brewery) opened in Virginia City. Today, the tradition continues with nearly 100 craft breweries and 25 distilleries statewide.
Not only does this project highlight Montana’s local businesses but provides viewers with a glimpse of our communities and the recreational opportunities within them. Community is at the center of the Montana lifestyle, and each of these businesses jump at the opportunity to support their local communities.
This project started as a video production project, and we are currently working to create a full database/website to highlight Montana breweries, distilleries, and taprooms for travelers.
Drink It In Montana was developed in partnership by Southwest Montana Tourism and Central Montana Tourism through matching grant funds with the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development statewide Tourism Grants. The videos were produced by Tempest Technologies, LLC. This grant program “awards funds to projects that strengthen Montana’s economy through the development and enhancement of the State’s tourism and recreation industry.”
