Flathead beer to be showcased at Canadian event

Flathead Valley craft brews will be among the Montana-made beer that will be highlighted at a post-Independence Day celebration hosted by the U.S. Consul General in Calgary on Thursday.

Consul General Thomas Palaia and his wife, Sarah Palaia, will host more than 7,000 community and business leaders from Calgary for a Montana-themed celebration of America’s independence.

Montana Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, representatives from the Governor’s Office of Economic Affairs and Montana brewery owners also will attend.

Tamarack Brewing Co. of Lakeside and Flathead Lake Brewing Co. of Bigfork will be among six Montana breweries whose beer will be featured.

“We’re very excited to have been invited to provide beer for this event,” said Greg Johnston of Flathead Lake Brewing Co. “It’s great to be able to share our handcrafted beer with our neighbors and we hope this is a relationship that will flourish.”

This event comes as the Montana craft beer industry continues to boom. Montana is currently home to nearly 70 breweries, with many more planned or under construction.

A recent study by the University of Montana shows Montana beer production has increased by 87 percent since 2010, and that employment in Montana breweries increased by 204 percent between 2010 and 2015.

It also comes in the wake of the passage of House Bill 541, passed during the 2017 legislative session. The bill, which goes into effect Oct. 1, will raise the 10,000-barrel production limit to 60,000 barrels, allowing breweries to grow past 10,000 barrels of annual production without losing their taproom.

The growth of the industry, coupled with legislative progress, will help further expand Montana beer sales, according to a press release issued by M+R Strategic Services, adding “though limits on alcohol imports to Canada currently exist, the event with the Consul General demonstrates an important partnership and a growing market for Montana-made products.”