The Ultimate Guide to the Breweries in Bozeman Montana

If you are looking for a quietly-awesome beer scene, look no further than the breweries in Bozeman Montana.

With 8 breweries, various beer bars, a cidery, meadery, a winery and 3 distilleries, the alcohol scene in Bozeman is one that is sure to please everyone’s preferences.

Check out our guide below to learn more about all the Bozeman breweries! 

Short on Time? Here are the key takeaways:

• In our opinion, you can’t miss Mountain Walking Brewery. Literally one of our favorite – in the country.
• Montana beer laws restricts the amount of what breweries can serve.
• If you have limited time, SHINE Beer Sanctuary has a lot of local options on tap with great food!

Psst:  We have a bunch of guides about Montana. Browse them all here.

This post was originally published in September 2020, and was updated in October 2023.

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Montana Beer Laws 

Let’s start this thing out with a quick lesson on Montana beer laws because they can be rough for the local Montana breweries (if you like to drink the amounts we do).

As of 2019, Montana ranked second in the nation for breweries per capita.

BUT, Montana state law sure makes it difficult for beer-lovers to saddle up at a Montana brewery for a few pints.  That’s because breweries can only serve customers between the hours of 10 AM and 8 PM.

Also, it is unlawful to serve a customer more than 48 ounces of beer in a single day.  That’s 3 pints FYI.

Even worse, if your brewery produces more than 10,000 barrels a year, you can only provide free samples to customers. (There are some loopholes to all of these, for what it’s worth).

These rules are all in place to “protect” the bars and restaurants of the world.

Although unfair to the craft breweries across Montana, it did force us to brewery-hop (and the rest of Montana) and taste everything that these local Bozeman breweries have to offer.  Poor us!

Map of Breweries in Bozeman

Map Brewing Company 

• Hours: Daily from 12PM – 8PM
• Food Available: Yes, full restaurant

Map Brewing Company’s mission is simple: craft and drink great beer.

And providing this craft beer in one of the more beautiful settings is just icing on the cake!

MAP is “brewed to explore” which fits this region of the country so well because of all of the things that you can experience and explore nearby.

A large, outdoorsy-feel taproom with maps adorning the walls (obviously) and a patio with stunning views of the Bridger Mountain range in the distance add to the experience of quality craft beer and locally-sourced food.

No matter how you choose to explore Big Sky country, MAP is a laid-back, go-to spot to unwind, grab a beer, and enjoy your friends and family in the midst of nature.

Mountains Walking Brewery 

• Hours: Daily from 11:30 AM – 8PM
• Food Available: Yes, full restaurant

Just about a mile from Bozeman’s historic Main Street in the Bozeman Brewery Historic District, Mountains Walking Brewery is letting the beer do the talking, in more ways than one.

Head brewer Gustav Dose is committed to age-old brewing traditions, having studied the process around the world, and he believes in giving his beer a “healthy measure of freedom” to see what happens when the living organisms in beer aren’t tightly controlled.

The end result, in our humble opinion, is some damn good beer!⁣

Gustav and his team think of their brewery as a conversation between all the parties involved: beer and brewer, beer and food, and beer and the world. What a cool (and true) perspective!

Speaking of food, we absolutely loved our Tachos (yes, tater tot nachos) and even went back the next day to try some of their wood-fired pizza (unashamedly, we returned here twice more on a second visit to Bozeman).

Let’s just say we are glad we went back again (and again), it was that good!⁣

Our first flight included the Tin Sky (NE IPA), Nelson Sauvin Cloud Curtain (oat whip NE DIPA), MTN Mai Tai (pineapple, mango and key lime accompany the coconut and cinnamon from the rum barrels used in aging – try this as a Slushie beer in the summer), and Sweets (an incredibly interesting, unexpected, and delicious cherry chocolate sour ale).

Our take-home haul included even more of their beer to share with new friends as we continue on our journey.⁣ 

Of all the breweries in Bozeman, we visited Mountains Walking 4 times across our 2 Bozeman stints and we aren’t afraid to say that this one is our favorites. 

Bozeman Brewing Company 

• Hours: Daily from 2PM – 8PM
• Food Available: No

Founded in 2001, Bozeman Brewing Company, aka The Bozone, is Gallatin Valley’s oldest operating craft brewery.

Located near the edge of the town’s historic Brewery District (and a lengthy stone’s throw from Mountains Walking), their tap room offers 20 beers to drink ranging from classic style amber ales to one of their craft barrel sours. 

Speaking of sours, Bozeman Brewing has the largest production of sours in the state.

Under their roof are over 250 barrels of sours waiting to reach perfection and which are released in small batches.

How small you ask?

1 barrel release at a time small.

If you’re like Samantha and love sours, this should be one of your first stops when visiting the breweries in Bozeman.

Outlaw Brewing 

• Hours: Monday – Thursday 2PM – 8PM
  • Friday – Sunday 12 PM – 8 PM
• Food Available: Food trucks only

Outlaw Brewing’s owner and founder is a native Virginian, so we have something in common with him other than our love of craft beer. 

What started in the corner of a barbeque restaurant in nearby Belgrade, Outlaw Brewing has grown into a great taproom and patio in Bozeman today.

We had 13 different draft options to choose from and went with the Jungle Flair (tangerine, guava, and mango sour) and the Rainsticks & Whales (New England IPA).

Bridger Brewing 

• Hours: Daily from 11:30 AM – 8:30 PM
• Food Available: Yes, full restaurant

Founders David Breck & David Sigler originally teamed up to form an engineering consulting firm, but David #1 told his new partner that he really wanted to open a brewery to which David #2 said “Why don’t you do both?” 

And along came Bridger Brewing which opened in 2013.

With a strong commitment to supporting local, Bridger Brewing sources hops and wheat harvested from down the road and consistently looks for the freshest ingredients for their beer and food.

The beer was good and the fresh goat cheese and bread were a perfect complement for our flight!

Located conveniently near Montana State University’s campus, this brewery in Bozeman has a great rooftop patio and large taproom for trying all of their beers.

Bunkhouse Brewery 

• Hours: Daily from 12PM – 8PM
• Food Available: No

One of, if not, the smallest breweries in Bozeman, Montana, Bunkhouse Brewery focuses on the community and is even thrilled to host a Pint Night to help your organization reach its goal.

Despite it’s close proximity to campus, Bunkhouse tends to draw a more professional crowd and has a set of beers for a more refined taste.

Options like the De Yikes! Norwegian Kveik Ale, which is a dry-hopped pale ale, or the Bozarian Bavarian Hefeweizen were delicious and refreshing beers for the hot Montana summer.

Nordic Brew Works 

• Hours: Daily from 2PM – 8PM
• Food Available: No

Rounding out the Bozeman breweries guide is Nordic Brew Works. Located on the western edge of town, Nordic Brew Works is a taproom and restaurant combo offering IPA-focused brews.

All their beers have fun names, but the one we liked the most was Princess Unicorn. Located in a chic strip mall, they have a more modern feel and have a sophisticated setting.

If we are being honest, we’ve been back to Bozeman 3 times since 2020. Based on experience here, we didn’t return again. Just because it wasn’t our cup of tea, doesn’t mean it won’t be your shot of whiskey (so to speak). 

Shred Monk Brewing

• Hours: Daily from 10 AM – 8PM
• Food Available: Yes, full restaurant

Located on Main Street, Shred Monk Brewing is the newest game in town opening in early 2022. What’s unique about Shred Monk is that it’s a brewery but they also roast coffee so no matter which type of pick-me-up you need, they’ll have you covered.

Don’t let this fool you into thinking they don’t have excellent craft beer. They won bronze at the Great American Beer Festival for their German Pilsner in 2022.

Their restaurant supports local providing a farm to table menu. Local favorite is their smash burger and roll out weekend specials as well. Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4 – 6 PM and be sure to stop in for one of their live music events.

Bonus: SHINE Beer Sanctuary 

• Hours: Sunday – Wednesday 11 AM – 9 PM
  • Thursday – Saturday 11 AM – 10 PM
• Food Available: Yes from Lapa Grill

When we first looked up breweries in Bozeman, SHINE Beer Sanctuary popped up and the name alone had us excited to go.

SHINE is committed to helping beer lovers find their sanctuary and we believe they succeeded. With 30 rotating beer taps and 4 wine taps, you can drink a pint of grab a flight as you soar around the world (or locally) with some brews.

The best part, they have an epic bottle shop where you can find local and around the world beers to take home.

They even have a really good restaurant attached to the beer sanctuary called Lapa Grill & Soup Shack serving up yummy burritos, street tacos, soups, and salads. 

It’s no secret that Bozeman has become a secret destination for breweries. While most people pass through on their way to Yellowstone National Park, the Bozeman breweries are worth hanging around town for.

Whether you like a light beer, IPA, or heavy stout, there is something to please everyone’s beer palate. 

Looking for liquor? Check out our quick guide to the distilleries in Bozeman.

Not done drinking in Montana? Check out our Guide to the Breweries in Missoula.