Quarry Brewing Company

 

the oldest brewery in butte, been around longer than a decade now, and a very cool place to visit, feels very old school and very montana to me at the same time. the space is in the basement of an old building downtown, i had to walk down stairs to get there from the street, but it looks like it may have a street level entrance on the other side. the space feels like a beer hall, minimalist decor, really all about the beer it seems, almost feels like a diner or something down there. member mugs adorn the wall behind the bar, and the brewing equipment is visible behind a window right there to the side. they had a good selection when i was in, ranging from ipa to black ipa, huckleberry kolsch and sour stout (these last two very nice mixed together!), some very old school and predictable, some quite ambitious and surprising, i enjoyed the ones i had, especially the ipa, but none of it really blew me away. it seems right for the town though, mostly basic drinkable beers with a few curveballs on the list. the service was incredible, the lady behind the bar was so welcoming to an out of towner, chatty and kind, curious and generous with the samples, even introduced me to some locals there. she was awesome, and really made this visit a great experience, independent of the beer! a mellow vibe in here and some solid liquid, i hope to return one day!

 

 

 

 

This brewery is in their second location, and their current digs are a winner. They've lovingly refurbished an old building, which this town desperately needs. Since the building is built on the Butte hill, you can go in the front door, walk down a flight of stairs- and find yourself in the tasting room and back on ground level again facing the alley. There is also a larger event room that I haven't experienced yet, and a newly established bakery on the upper floor. Large windows in the tasting room allow you to view their brewing operation.

Although I've never traveled overseas, I imagine that the wide open cellar feel of their tasting room might just suggest the traditional German rathskeller. Their beer ranges from quite good to excellent, and is a very good value- all their beers are $3.50 per pint and $7.00 for a half-gallon growler to go, with $6.00 growlers on Sundays. I think you can get a five gallon Corny keg for about $50 (not counting deposits). You can barely make it yourself at that price. You can also get larger kegs and "pigs". They also have their own root beer and I think some kind of orange creme soda. They have popcorn to munch on, a collection of magazines that includes Beer Advocate, interesting display items of historical import, and a nice collection of exotic rocks and minerals. Lots of special events are on tap throughout the year, with a weekly trivia night.

I love the atmosphere of their tasting room, which has a way different vibe than a bar. Children, including even infants, accompany their parents, with the kiddies playing games in a little children's area, or playing about the benches, while they sip their root beer. By law, you can only drink three pints on the premises, which keeps the drunken sots to a minimum (although I have gotten absolutely baked on three pints of their stout).

 

Very good beers, nice staff, much ambience - enter from the Broadway address, go downstairs and because of the topography of Butte, you're still above ground! The Montana downside of a 48 oz limit is well offset by the quality of the beer and the location in historic Butte. Worth the stop!