Pints on a Distant Horizon: Saturday in South-Central Montana

Down from the Mountain: Red Lodge Ales
Led by its friendly bartender, Ross, the Red Lodge crew served me pints while obliging numerous families wanting soft-drink refills. Their winter firewood holder has been drafted into service as playground equipment on the lawn of their expansive patio.

It didn’t top the aesthetics of Stone’s one-acre garden in Escondido, but it definitely broke from the taproom template. Old kegs replaced table legs, beer bottles clustered around ceiling bulbs to provide ambient light. Lying north of Red Lodge’s packed commercial district it had the vibe a lazy Saturday afternoon demanded.

Red Lodge’s restaurant status allowed it to avoid the draconian limits placed on taprooms. But its distance from anywhere else (60 miles from Billings, 45 miles from Columbus the next town of any size) made it a risk to pass those limits.

Coming from the Beartooth Highway, only its namesake, Beartooth Pale Ale, would suffice. Proceeding with a nice hop bitterness, it throws off nutty notes, with the citrus extending to lemon and even a grapefruit fringe. The lemon tones tend to coat the palette, preparing it for the hop rush to come. For calming nerves after a mountaintop drive, it worked quite well.

I moved onto the Hefeweizen, poured in proper glassware. It was lighter than many German-style wheat ales, clean and with a crisp grain textures.

Red Lodge's fall seasonal, a robust Oktoberfest Lager, came last, but hardly least. Amber-orange and shimmering, the ruby fruits of this Montana Marzen never messed around. Clean and refreshing, its burnt orange character steamrolls most domestic attempts at the German style. Were I not far from home, I could have finished mug after mug. Red Lodge’s Oktoberfest. Unfortunately, I had to thank Ross and put the Beartooth Range behind me.

Sea Gods in Horse Country
What does Neptune have in common with Yellowstone’s First Gateway? Strangely enough, Romans also regarded Neptune as a horse god, and Livingston’s culture sports deep equine ties. The brewery’s owner also served a stint in the Navy and small bust of Neptune he owns adorns the counter at the small taproom. My grandfather, his twin brother and my great-grandfather all came through Livingston in the 1930s on the Yellowstone route.

My railroad ancestors piqued my interest in the little town on the Yellowstone River east of the Bozeman Pass. Neptune’s brews take different paths with traditional beer styles, defying expectations at every turn.

After closing with an Oktoberfest at Red Lodge, Neptune’s Oktoberfest Lager couldn’t have varied more from the traditional amber lager. With a little smoke on the nose, this dark, malty lager clocks in at 8.9 percent ABV, a little strong for celebrating the Bavarian holiday. Rich with molasses, dates and other dark fruits, a touch of sweetness flares up before the smooth finish that features some dark, distant berries.

The bartender gave me samples of several other brews With a little zing and liveliness, the Reserve Barleywine came out hoppier than the malt-bombs typical of the heavy English style. Skipping the corn, Neptune’s infused Smooth Sailing Cream Ale with lactose to create the sweet, creamy finish. It finished light-years beyond the swlll most Americans think of as cream ale.

The brewery poured its Chocolate Cream Porter and Clipper Nut Brown Ale at the Montana Beer Festival, but a reintroduction from the home tap did some good. The bartender assured me they had been refining the porter recipe, and it showed off. The porter was even creamier than I recalled, its nuttiness and chocolate notes almost decadent.

I returned to red for my final pint. Mermaid’s Tale Red Ale, a malty, pleasant session beer. It has little lace or head, but some easy-going red fruits on the front and a little fire on the finish.

With about 7,000 residents, Livingston didn't lack lively bar patrons. Everyone was chatty and interested in why some guy from Tennessee would drop in. While working on these pints, I talked blue grass with Norm, who was headed to Nashville for the Americana Music Festival. I actually predicted Robert Plant's appearance during the festival (which came true on Sept. 9). I gave him suggestions on top venues (Station Inn, for starters) and even my number if he wanted someone to buy him a beer. He won’t call, but that it was the least I could offer to the friendly taproom crowd at Neptune's.