Moose Drool vs. Cold Smoke

     The Montana Club has the best local beer line-up in Butte, and the largest menu. That's why I choose it when I'm with a group of people - everyone finds something they love!  Kali asks me to recommend a local, darker brew to pair with the barbecue ribs.  She's more of a vodka girl, so I won't subject her to a stout.
.... hmmmm ... Two beers sitting on tap, one is a Brown Ale the other a Scotch.  
     Both are made in Missoula, and pair well with every meat and cheese on the menu.  I order one of each; I love both so she will decide which is better.

     
     The American Brown Ale is not what one may think moose drool tastes like; I suppose a moose's drool might be earthy, slightly salty with grassy undertones.  Perhaps that is why they call it Moose Drool: slight earthy undertones. . 
     
     The first thing Kali mentions are the names, "I am more turned on by the idea of drinking cold smoke," she says seductively.  But Kali agrees that Moose Drool is much more pleasant than it sounds and much easier to drink than it looks.  I tell her they actually call it Moose Drool because of the artwork chosen for the bottle.  
   
     Anyways, despite the name, it is one of Montana's finer tasting brews, and I venture to say the most widely distributed.  Brewed in Missoula, Montana by Big Sky Brewing Company, this beer has four malts and four hop additions.  It debuted in '96 and its handle is recognized by the cartoon moose holding a beer, or the painting of the moose drooling in the pond.

     The Drool appears chocolate brown with amber hues and a sweet bready-malt aroma.  It has a 5.1 abv and 26 IBUs.  Although it doesn't taste as sweet as it smells, it's a smooth medium-bodied ale with just enough hop to keep her from the sweet side.  Check out some reviews on beeradvocate.com.

     The second beer I handed Kali is at least a shade darker than the Drool.  It holds a medium-heavy body and a smooth clean finish.  It is very well balanced on the pallet with a 6.5 abv and 11 IBUs.  Cold Smoke has a "very good" rating on Beer Advocate.  Unlike Moose Drool, this beer's name is relevant to its taste.  The mild molasses overtones distinguish a smokey flavor and semi-sweet coffee finish.

     It only took a half a pint of the smoke to realize it held some metallic off flavors.  Kali and I initially agreed that it was the pint Moose Drool that won our favor; it seemed more smooth and sweeter than the Scotch Ale.  I suspected the off flavors of the Cold Smoke were not part of the flavor profile, "We need a taste test with beer straight from the brewers tap."  Unfortunately, that was out of the question since we were in Butte.

     Luckily, both breweries can their beers (Big Sky also bottles).  Kali and I decided to make an afternoon stop at Safeway and search for cans.  The six pack of 12 ounce cans of Moose Drool was $8.59, the four 16 ounce cans of Cold Smoke were $9.99.  We took them back to her place and hashed through the flavor profiles of the canned beers.

     Cold Smoke is brewed at KettleHouse Brewing Co. in Missoula.  It carries many similar characteristics as the competing Brown Ale; however, there is a soft attribute in the Scotch Ale that lends itself to a more balanced flavor and cleaner finish.

     It's official between Kali and I: Cold Smoke rules them all.   ... but watch out for some of those kegs.  

   

A series of fantastic events began at Great Northern Brewing Company.

     Surrounded by the majestic Rockies and nestled just outside Glacier National Park, Whitefish is home to my favorite beer, Going to the Sun IPA.  Named after the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier Park, this light and refreshing IPA sings of thirst quenching citrus hops.  The Montana-made popular American-style IPA is only one of Great Northern Brewing's masterpieces.  Check out a menu and descriptions.

     The Drought House, located at the Great Northern Brewery, has a variety to offer: tours of the brewery, amuse, merchandise, and brews to-go.  The structure is large, spacious, and a forum for adventurous adults, offering darts, shuffleboard, and baggo. It is renown for being the tallest building in Whitefish, Montana; it may be the tallest, but the open-top-floor at Casey's surely rivals (continue reading)!


     I took a quick trot from Kalispell to Whitefish one summer afternoon, and intended to grab a quick bite and enjoy a scenic drive through Glacier Park.  Finding and entering The Drought House was easy, the quaint town and cozy atmosphere pushed me through the line of patrons and tourists like I was a native.  I knew I loved the IPA but wanted to sample the array.  I had no idea my plans for an afternoon in Glacier would be terminated upon the meeting of two unique individuals.

     David, Cassie, and I were three strangers with one destiny; to drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road on Saturday afternoon....and end up at Great Northern Brewery. It's even more strange how we struck up a conversation, communicated fluently and shared the same ideas, even David and Cassie (also strangers to each other) had fathers in the same small Minnesota town.  It was beyond irony that three similar souls should have a same destination on the same weekend and yet end up on the same alternate route.  How the stars align!

     After ordering a sampler of five beers of my choice (3 oz each), the three of us shared the scrumptious and satisfying Bighorn Nachos.  Cassie had a wholesome grilled cheese sandwich, David the Galaxy Burrito, and I chose a delicate selection of veggies on a plate with hummus.  The menu at GNBC is simple and small, but offers and impressive variety to compliment the drafts.

     The afternoon slipped past as three unlikely characters hashed through the worlds issues, solved global warming, ended the slave trade, and indeed proved the Kevin Bacon effect.  We consumed our 48 ounces (per Montana State law) in a conversationally engrossing five hours time and were persuaded to move our assembly to an unsuspecting crowd...the local fair, where we moshed in the beer gardens and indulged in more of our favorite MT brew.

     Obviously a drive on Going-to-the-Sun was long forgotten and we needed to make last-minute arrangements for a place to crash.  I considered Couchsurfing, but didn't want to leave my comrades; thank you booking.com!  Although there are many amazing accommodations around Whitefish, we received a great deal and were lucky enough for transportation arrangements with Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge.

     We knew that the night was still fresh when three young men approached Cassie for directions to a local dance club.  As is typical in Whitefish on a steamy summer weekend, tourists prowled the streets, hopped bars, and if they were as hearty as we six, ended up with a mob of dancers at Casey's. Atop poles, on stage, and even rocking out on the fire-lit rooftop, travelers conversed with strangers, made new friends, and gazed upon the star-strung sky.

     All too soon the party came to a close, but our friendship only began to unfold.  The three of us walked through downtown Whitefish in the middle of the night, telling stories and memories, conversing in depth about what we longed for from life, sharing things our friends and family would never know. After a renewed sense of self, and watching a serene sunrise, we mozied to our rooms and caught some sleep.
   
     It was at Loula's where we regained consciousness with a most delicious breakfast, and devised a plan to share the Going-to-the-Sun road trip.  After all, who wants to drive the most gorgeous 50 mile roadway in the Northwestern USA alone?  We set out for Glacier Park in David's car and stopped many times to inhale the exhilarating mountain air.


     I learned who the Billy Goats are, Cassie and David's ears throbbed through my three favorite Volbeat songs, and we praised the courageous workers who risked their lives to carve that crazy road out of a mountain side.  And that was end of our absolutely spontaneous 24 hour excursion (but not the end of our story)..all made possible by that beer I call my favorite, Going to the Sun.