Over the years, Flathead Lake Brewing Company has been a popular destination in Woods Bay – so popular, in fact, that it needs a bigger home. And its new home – Bigfork’s old bowling alley on Holt Drive – will be transformed into a state-of-the-art brewing facility by the time the taps start flowing.
According to a press release, the bowling alley’s owners, Sandy Clare and Elvira Johnston, say their building will be ready to accomodate the brewery by mid-summer. The tanks, which are being custom made by W.M. Sprinkman Corporation out of Wisconsin, are expected to arrive in Montana in June.
Flathead Lake Brewing Company owner Greg Johnston’s goal is to have beer brewed at the new facility ready for distribution by fall. Johnston is also purchasing a canning line that will allow the brewery to produce 12-ounce and 16-ounce cans, along with the 22-ounce bottles that are already available.
Then by early next spring, the Flathead Lake Brewing Company Pub House is expected to open, featuring a cozy fireplace, TVs inside and outside, beers from the brewery and from other breweries around the state, and a full lineup of food from head chef DeAnna McCann.
The press release notes that the “biggest and proudest news about the move” involves the building itself. The plan is to have the building Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – or LEED – certified, which is a prestigious honor in the green-building industry.
“Flathead Lake Brewing Co. hopes to put Montana on the map by becoming the second GOLD LEED certified production brewery in the U.S.,” the release states.