Bonsai Brewing to Keep the Vibes Going with New Owners

Nearly 12 years after Keela Smith and her husband Graham Hart launched Bonsai Brewing Project in Whitefish, the founders last month passed the torch to new owners, who plan to keep pouring unique brews while maintaining community vibes for its loyal customers.

At its Wisconsin Avenue location north of the viaduct, the craft brewery has served as a favorite watering hole for locals and tourists just a handful of miles south of Whitefish Mountain Resort. When Smith and Hart decided to start a new chapter in their careers earlier this year, they sold the business to Whitefish residents Charlotte Lubert and Daniel Wright.

“We love this property – we love Bonsai,” Lubert said. “We’ve been coming here right from the beginning.”

Originally from England, Lubert and Wright have a background in real estate and moved to the Flathead in 2020. The pair frequently visited the brewery as customers before buying Bonsai earlier this year and officially taking over on July 1.

“For us, it felt like the right time to move on and pass the torch of Bonsai to somebody else,” Smith said. “Daniel and Charlotte have great plans – they want to keep a lot of the vibe but then they have their own spin.”

Lubert – who is Wright’s aunt – said they plan to spruce up the garden and landscaping design outside while making upgrades to the kitchen and adding outdoor comfort amenities for winter customers. But events like vinyl night will continue every week.

The brewery will also continue expanding its experimental beers, and Hart is helping new head brewer Marty Vollmer, who has worked at Sacred Waters Brewing Company in Kalispell for the last several years.

Hart has developed more than 300 different beers over the years, specializing in styles with unique flavor profiles while also adapting to the latest beer trends.

Smith says IPAs have long been popular at the brewery, while demand for sours has dipped among customers, who these days are seeking lighter, crisper beers – especially in the summer.

Since taking over, Vollmer has developed beers like the “Yard Work,” a light, hoppy ale that he originally wanted to call the “Almost Diet” because of its limited sugar and gluten. He’s also created the “Foreplay,” which is “kissed” with passionfruit and “HOT summer enjoyment.”

“He came out of the gates flying,” Wright said.

Bonsai will continue offering house staples like the “Lil’ Blonde Honey,” “Initiation” and “Sheriff John Brown” as well as other options like seltzers and low-ABV cocktails. Lubert and Wright also hope to brew some non-alcoholic beers in the future, but they say the process is time-consuming and complicated. In the meantime, they offer Athletic non-alcoholic beers.

Head Chef Kyle Watkins will keep serving up fresh soul bowls, sandwiches, burgers and pasta salad from the outdoor kitchen in the summer before switching to hearty soups in the winter. He has worked to perfect the menu since taking over the culinary program in 2018.

“I’ve tried to broaden the flavor profiles while also making things more executable for a high volume of people,” Watkins said. “There’s an ethos that was always part of this place to make as much from scratch as we can.”

Reflecting on the last 12 years of ownership, Smith said she’s watched the microbrewery industry evolve along with new types of beer lovers and trends. While palates have changed and the customer base has expanded, she said she’s proud of the business she and her husband launched in the Mountain Mall on a crowd-sourced fund of $17,800.

“It’s been an awesome run, and I feel really happy and pleased with where Bonsai has grown,” Smith said. “It feels like it’s in a good spot now.”

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