A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it's better to be thoroughly sure

Another submission for spiritedtimes.com that I thought I'd post here too:

While reviewing my arsenal of drinks for the “favorite cocktails” section of this page, I realized that nothing makes this Montanan happier than a frothy cold beer. Here in Montana we claim over a dozen of the finest microbreweries, well in my opinion, anywhere. Below is a list of my favorite brews:

Kettlehouse Brewing Company
Missoula, MT
http://www.kettlehouse.com/
The ultimate microbrew comes from Kettlehouse and is the Cold Smoke Scotch Ale. This may very well be my favorite thing to drink…period. While visiting Kettlehouse, give the Olde Bongwater Porter a try.

Madison River Brewing Company
Belgrade, MT
http://www.madisonriverbrewing.com/
The Madison River Brewing Company does an outstanding second place job of perfecting another Scotch Ale, the Copper John Scotch Ale. If dark beers aren’t your thing, try the Salmon Fly Honey Rye.

Bozeman Brewing Company
Bozeman, MT
http://bozemanbrewing.com/
The Bozone Plum St. Porter from the Bozeman Brewing Company is so substantial and rich we locals use it as a meal replacement.

Neptunes Brewery
Livingston, MT
www.neptunesbrewery.com
Who needs cake when you can try the seasonal Chocolate Cream Porter from Neptune’s Brewery? Neptune’s brewery is located in the beautiful and eclectic town of Livingston and their slogan reads “Don’t drink like a fish…drink like a God”, which I think is advice we can all agree with.

Big Sky Brewing Co
Missoula, MT
www.bigskybrew.com
Another smashing brew from Missoula is the Moose Drool Brown Ale. This is a favorite throughout all of Montana’s pubs and can be conveniently located bottled in 6 packs in many of our local grocery stores.

Best Little Tiki Lounge On Earth

In the town of Great Falls, Montana, there’s a little hole in the wall called the Sip-N-Dip. There are so many things wrong with this place that everything is right and for the first 10 minutes you stare in disbelief. This entrancing nook can be found up the stairs in the O’Haire Motor Inn and is the tackiest tiki lounge this side of Tahiti. Windows have been built in to the side of the hotel pool and you can watch mermaids swim around as you drink your cocktails and marvel at the engineering feat of an upstairs pool. Legend has it Darryl Hannah once suited up in mermaid attire and swam in the Sip-N-Dip pool.
The best part of Sip-N-Dip is undoubtedly Piano Pat. Pat Spoonheim has been chained behind a round padded bar four nights a week for 44 years and oddly, got this gig after filling in for the previous piano man who skipped town and didn’t return until 20 years later. Pat’s rendition of “Sweet Caroline” makes you want to hurdle the barricade she created to keep the inebriated from falling on her and kiss her right on the lips. The night we visited Pat, there were at least 3 bachelorette parties in progress and Pat rolled her eyes as she sang “Going to the Chapel” to “all these young kids getting married”. You can purchase Pat’s top hits on CD and it was all I could do to keep from buying 50 of them and passing them out at Christmas.
Perhaps the most fascinating Sip-N-Dip anomaly is that in 2003, GQ Magazine named this night spot the number 1 bar on earth. Oh not just America, folks…ON. EARTH. And as you sit there watching mermaids and listening to Piano Pat under a straw ceiling, it all makes perfect sense.
Request the large blue drink served in what looks to be a giant fishbowl with 4 straws and share it with your friends. Or better yet just get one straw and drink it yourself. Don’t forget to tip Pat on your way out.

Check out other beverage stories (as well as my own submissions) at www.spiritedtimes.com