Page 36 - Flathead Beacon // 12.17.14

36 | DECEMBER 17, 2014
BUSINESS
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
BUILDING A
SUSTAINABLE
BREWERY
New LEED-certified Flathead Lake Brewing Company brewpub site to open next month
BIGFORK – Overlooking the shores of the largest fresh- water lake in the West, it’s easy to see why the owners of Flathead Lake Brewing Company are committed to building an environmentally sustainable brewery.
The jaw-dropping views afforded at the new brew- ery and brew pub site in Bigfork, scheduled to open next month, are a constant reminder of the pristine watershed that the brewery is perched above, and of the stewardship responsibilities that a business owner takes on in the region.
Imagining sipping a beer and noshing appetizers on the wraparound deck that faces Flathead Lake, lead brewer Tim Jacoby says the job has its perks, and that the new facility’s efficient design converts them into a guiltless pleasure.
“It’s a pretty big responsibility running a business here, and we are really proud of the engineering that went into this building. You can feel good about this be- cause it’s environmentally sustainable,” Jacoby said.
Located just five miles north of the company’s pop- ular Woods Bay brewery, the new site serves several purposes – it allows the brewery to ramp up production after years of lagging behind market demands for its tasty, award-winning beer; it provides space for a can- nery line; and it puts the company at the fore of a move- ment to build sustainable, eco-friendly businesses.
The theory is simple: Great beer calls for quality ingredients, and quality ingredients require a healthy environment. So, building a sustainable brewery yields better beer, right?
David Brendgard transfers the Steel Bridge IPA at Flathead Lake Brewing Company’s new facility in Bigfork. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
That’s why at the new brewery, everything is re- cycled, reused and reclaimed, right down to the menus and ceiling fans (the latter are made from old jib sails that ferried ships around Flathead Lake).
It’s also one of the few Flathead County businesses to build according to standards administered by Lead- ership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), an accrediting program established by the U.S. Green Building Council to change the way businesses design, construct and operate their buildings and communities.
And after two years, the waiting has been the hardest part.
Since 2012, the Bigfork brewpub has been renovat- ing an old bowling alley near the heart of Bigfork, im- proving the vacant site with its model for sustainability.
By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Beacon
Give the Gift of Peace of Mind.
www.eisingermotors.com
Hwy 93 N & Reserve, Kalispell • 406-755-5555 • Open Mon - Fri 7am to 6pm • Sat. 8am to 5pm
Gift Certificates available in all departments