Big Sky Brewing Company

46.922°N 114.0727°W / 46.922; -114.0727

Big Sky Brewing Company

Location	5417 Trumpeter Way, Missoula, Montana, USA
Opened	1995
Annual production volume	40,000–47,000 US beer barrels (47,000–55,000 hL)
Owned by	Neal Leathers, Bjorn Nabozney, Brad Robinson
Website	http://www.bigskybrew.com/
Active beers
Name Type Moose Drool Brown ale Scape Goat Pale ale Trout Slayer American pale wheat ale Big Sky IPA India pale ale Space Goat Pale ale Shake-A-Day India pale ale Pack Train Double India Pale Ale Slow Elk Oatmeal Stout Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout Griz Lager Montana Lager
Seasonal beers
Name Type Powder Hound Winter warmer Summer Honey Pale ale Camp Robber Coffee Porter Beire de Noel Strong Belgian Dark Ale

Big Sky Brewing Company is a brewery and taproom located in Missoula, Montana.^[1] It is owned by three partners, Bjorn Nabozney, Neal Leathers, and Brad Robinson.^[1] It is Montana's largest brewery. It first opened its doors in 1995 on 120-A Hickory Street, but eventually moved to its current location at 5417 Trumpeter Way.^[2] The brewery features both seasonal and regular ales and has continued to function under the same owners for twenty-three years.

History

Big Sky Brewery began when Neal Leathers and Brad Robinson moved to Missoula, Montana from Michigan in 1990. This is where they met their future business partner Bjorn Nabozney, a native Montanan. Brad and Neal began work on starting a brewery. Bjorn created a business plan while studying at the University of Montana for a brewery that put Brad and Neal's idea into perspective. Big Sky Brewing Company was founded shortly after this in 1995.^[2]

After raising capital, they purchased their original location at 120 Hickory Street Missoula, Montana, which spanned 7,000 square feet. Big Sky Brewing began brewing beer at their Hickory Street brewery in 1995. Big Sky Brewing's Hickory Street brewery was known as a "draft only" brewery, which means that they did not bottle beer at this establishment. With their eyes set on becoming a regional brewery, Big Sky Brewing planned on bottling beer, the Hickory Street location did not constitute enough room to add bottling production. After an arrangement, Big Sky Brewing began brewing beers at Portland Brewing Company for a few days each month. Portland Brewing also bottled and shipped Big Sky Brewing's beer to distributors. During this arrangement, Big Sky Brewing raised money and worked towards building a new brewery where they could bottle their own beer. Due to this plan they were forced outside of Missoula in 2002 to their current location at 5417 Trumpeter Way, which is over 24,000 square feet. At this new building they bottle and brew their own beer, and their current production rate is around 40,000-47,000 barrels. With their production moving at full speed, they now employ over forty-five full-time employees and sell beer in twenty-four different states. In 2017, Big Sky Brewing lobbied the Montana Legislature, helping pass Montana House Bill 541 allowing breweries to produce 60,000 barrels of beer.^[3] Big Sky Brewing also built an amphitheater, where they hold charity events and concerts, in an effort to give back to the Missoula community.^[4]

Awards

Beer	Category	Medal	Year	Bestower[5]
406 Series Saison	Strong Belgian Ales	Bronze	2010	North American Beer Awards[6]
All Souls Imperail Saison	Other Belgian Style Ales	Silver	2013	North American Beer Awards[7]
Barley Wine	Barley Wine-Style Ale	Bronze	2001	North American Beer Awards
Barrel Aged Power Wagon	Barrel-Aged Strong Beer	Silver	2015	North American Beer Awards[8]
Bière de Noël	Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale	Gold	2006	North American Beer Awards
		Gold	2003	North American Beer Awards
Big Sky IPA	English-Style India Pale Ale	Silver	2021	North American Beer Awards[9]
Big Sky Irish Stout	Dry Stout	Silver	2011	North American Beer Awards[10]
Big Sky Octoberfest	Marzen-Oktoberfest Lager	Gold	2021	North American Beer Awards[9]
Bobos Robust Porter	Robust Porter	Gold	2010	North American Beer Awards[6]
Bourbon Barleywine	Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer	Silver	2005	Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer
Heavy Horse Scotch Ale	Scotch Export	Silver	2005	North American Beer Awards[10]
Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout	Imperial Stout	Gold	2003	Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer
	Imperial Stout	Gold	2016	North American Beer Awards[11]
	Strong Ales	Bronze	2024	Montana Brewers Association[12]
Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout - 2015	Barrel-Aged Strong Beer	Bronze	2016	North American Beer Awards[11]
Moose Drool Brown Ale		Gold	2003	North American Beer Awards
	Brown Porter	Silver	2006	Los Angeles County Fair Competition
	American-Style Brown Ale	Gold	2013	North American Beer Awards[7]
	English-Style Brown Ale	Silver	2021	North American Beer Awards[9]
	English-Style Brown Ale	Silver	2022	North American Beer Awards[13]
Powder Hound Winter Ale	Old Ale	Bronze	2003	North American Beer Awards
		Gold	2002	North American Beer Awards
Power Wagon	Other Strong Beer	Silver	2013	Great American Beer Festival[14]
	Other Strong Beer	Silver	2014	World Beer Cup[15]
Scape Goat Pale	American-Style Pale Ale	Gold	1999	North American Beer Awards
Summer Honey Seasonal Ale	Honey Beer	Silver	2000	North American Beer Awards
		Bronze	2002	North American Beer Awards
		Silver	2003	North American Beer Awards
		Bronze	2006	North American Beer Awards
	Specialty Honey Beer	Gold	2006	Los Angeles County Fair Competition
	Honey Beer	Silver	2013	North American Beer Awards[7]
	Honey Beer	Bronze	2016	North American Beer Awards[11]
	Honey Beer	Gold	2021	North American Beer Awards[9]
Trout Slayer	English-Style Summer Ale	Gold	2013	North American Beer Awards[7]

See also

• List of Montana Breweries

Other Breweries in Missoula, Montana

• • Bayern Brewing, Inc.
  • Kettle House Brewing Co.
  • Draught Works

Taprooms only

• • Tamarack Brewing Company
  • Flathead Lake Brewing Co.
  • Portland Brewing Company