Bayern Brewing, Inc. / Edelweiss Bistro

 

this place is so awesome, and visiting it confirmed what i have long believed about these guys, that they are insanely underrated, underappreciated in their market, they slay on all things, and i think they deserve a lot more credit. this is some of the more authentic german beer made in the states that is anywhere, and they should have a better reputation than they seem to, or rather beer nerds should care more about this place and these styles, they really do a nice job. the place is cool, big from the outside but cozy on the inside, just a small bar room downstairs, humble and quaint and comfortable, with a view into the brew house behind it, everyone working hard. they had ten or so beers on tap from a classic pils to a schwarzbier to a rauch and a hefe, that sort of thing, they play around a little, a citra dry hopped bock, but its entirely german stuff and all of it is excellent. their new hefe is amazing, but i liked all the beers i got to drink here, the rauch was brilliant too. upstairs they have a restaurant thats real cool, traditional german cuisine, i didnt have time to eat but next time for sure. i enjoyed walking around the place and talking with the staff, who was all first rate, super welcoming and kind, generous with the free beers, and very well informed about the place and the beers. they have some cool sustainability initiatives here too, including reusing glass, so extra credit for that too. this place is timeless, a total classic, and their beer speaks for itself on quality, they fly under the radar, but this is easily some of the best beer and one of the coolest brewery experiences in missoula these days! just fantastic!

New Bistro (since last visited) is a great complement to great beers. Weiss-wursts are unbeatable.

2019 Oktoberfest and Rauchbier are very nice.

 

 

The vibe of this location is split into 4 sectors - an outside fenced in front yard, a first floor standard bar, a bistro with incredible furniture and windows into the brewery on the second floor, and a balcony area connected to it. There is something for everyone in terms of seating and atmosphere. The quality of their brews is almost annoying in how consistent they are in a reserved, yet flavorful and well crafted spread. Of the flight tried (which by the way is "all" of what they have on tap at the time) there was only one of the ten samples I did not finish (unfiltered Pilsner). The food selection is German almost to a fault, great for winter months in Missoula but somewhat heavy for a summer lunch.

In a town overly saturated with breweries, Bayern hits all the checkmarks with quality furnishings, music, great beers, and food to boot.

 

(#12 of 49) This brewery offers German-inspired beers and food. It is located just off a main street among other light-industrial buildings. I was looking forward to trying the German-style beers and food because I have not visited many breweries in this mold and I wanted to learn more about the taste of German beers. I was not disappointed.

The pub had a quaintness to it, even to the point that the on-staff German brewing intern walked through while pushing a hand cart with a keg going to the bar cooler. He was wearing a pair of red bib overalls that just seemed right for the occasion. A window in the rear wall of the pub looked out to the kegging area.

There were 11 beers on tap so we ordered a sampler flight of 9 of them. My marginal experience in drinking these styles left me at a loss to be able to judge them, so a lot of my evaluation of the beers was based on how I liked them rather than their being brewed in relation to their style characteristics. We really liked avery one of them, and gave an overall B+ grade to them. The most notable was the Pilsener, which I think is the best beer in this style that I've ever had.

The food is also very good here. It seemed like a good variety of German dishes that were on the menu, and we really enjoyed the meals that we ordered. If we are ever back in this area again, this place will be at the top of our list to visit again.

 

 

 

One thing I enjoy, is consistently good beer. There is nothing more disappointing than enjoying one batch, and the next one is different, and unpleasant. Bayern Brewing is Montana's oldest surviving micro brewery, since 1987. They brew all lagers, in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot. All organic, all natural, no gmo's. They have some good standards, the Amber (and unfiltered Amber), Pilsener, Helles Lager, unfiltered Hefeweizen, a Dunkelweizen and a classic German Black Lager. They also have some great seasonals. The brewery has two brewers who are from German Master Brewing programs, and usually they have an intern or two, recently graduated from German brewing schools. Soon to have a kitchen, also to have a German intern chef, from Germany. Great staff, most of them have been there for many years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I first visited this brewery when it was located in the old train depot at the end of Higgins. The brewery shared the building with a nice restaurant. It was always hopping on weekends. One time the Scorpions and their entourage showed up to party after a concert in Missoula. It was a grand venue for sure, and seems almost deserted now- perhaps the rent is too high.

I did not know about the current location until recently (I had moved away from Missoula). The current place is out of the way and would be hard to find if you didn't know the streets, and is far from the nice part of Missoula. Very limited parking on the edge of a low rent residential area. We visited it in cold weather and so didn't try the patio. The inside is rather cramped. They had a window to view their operation but it was largely obstructed by boxes.

The service is very good, and they were busy when we were in there on a Friday late afternoon. Their beer is excellent. As we left, my girlfriend was hesitant to pull out into traffic on the nearby extremely busy thoroughfare, and we were rudely honked at by the car in back of us. I gave 'em the Butte wave and they backed down like psis. That town is getting to be too much like a big city.

I like this brewery but don't care for the location. If this place was downtown in a nice old building, it would be the bomb.

Bayern is definitely a local favorite. Tasting room is kind of small but an inviting atmosphere, the patio is the best place to do your tasting. You can also watch them bottle their lovely beers. Pints sell for 4 dollars which is always a good deal. Growers give you about 6 pints and cost anywhere between 7 and 12 dollars for a fill if you already own a nice piece of glass, or stainless steel for us river goers.