Made In Montana: The Montana Distillery Experience

These made in Montana cocktails showcase exactly why the Montana distillery scene is thriving. Plus: Glacier National Park's best hotels and restaurants where I tried them all!

My tours, meals, drinks, and accommodations were part of a press trip in conjunction with the TBEX conference. ​This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, we may be paid a small commission.

Made in Montana: The Montana distillery scene doesn't get any better than when you can explore behind the scenes with a cocktail in hand.

What does it take to convince me to try the best spirits from the best distilleries in Montana? Admittedly, very little! During my recent trip to Western Montana however, I had a particular motivation behind my quest. I began my trip in the city of Billings, which is famous for its craft beer and walkable beer trail. That's great for Billings, but not so great for me as I'm not particularly keen on beer. But when I found out that Montana was a leading producer of spirits I knew I had found my niche. I'm not sure why it never dawned on me that vodka, gin, rye, and rum would all thrive here. After all, growing grain is one of the things that Montana does best! As I was to discover, they're pretty darn good at processing grain too - and turning it into delicious cocktails. 

I soon learned that conducting "research" on the best spirits and cocktails in Western Montana isn't an easy task. There are A LOT of amazing made in Montana distillers, creators, and cocktail shakers! My current list is but a small sampling of the spirits and distilleries Montana has to offer, with my personal thoughts on the tasting rooms, the cocktails I sampled, the restaurants where I ate, and - when those restaurants were in National Park lodges - my notes on some of the best hotels near Glacier National Park.

​It's my hope that this rundown of Western Montana's best local flavors will encourage you to visit and have your own "spirited" visit. Like me, I suspect you'll encounter more flavor, fun, and fanciness than you ever imagined. 

Glacier Distilling and the Glacier Park Lodge's Great Northern Dining Room

It only makes sense to start a report about the best spirits and flavors of Western Montana and Glacier National Park with huckleberries - the unofficial state fruit - plus water from local glaciers. 

The Glacier Distilling Company in Coram, Montana, makes small batch whiskey and fine spirits with local grains and glacier water. Seems fitting for a distillery so close to Glacier National Park! In addition to half a dozen varieties of Montana whiskey, they also produce fruit brandies, gin, rum, liqueurs, and finally vodka, which I was able to try at Glacier Park Lodge, just outside Glacier National Park. At the Lodge's Great Northern Dining Room, I selected the Northern Lights cocktail. It was made with Glacier Distilling glacier dew vodka, Malibu, huckleberry grenadine, and soda, and garnished with an orange wheel. 

I had been reluctant to try any huckleberry flavored cocktails in Montana. I loved huckleberries and it seemed only appropriate to try them in cocktail form. But I held back for fear of getting an ultra-purple, ultra-sweet, artificially flavored concoction. The Northern Lights cocktail was nothing like that. It was delicious and summery and not overly sweet. And it was hard to stop at just one! Almond crusted trout with roasted vegetables and a shared platter of roasted Brussels sprouts with candied walnuts and a chili glaze rounded out the flavors nicely.

In addition to the lovely meal and delicious cocktails, I liked Glacier Park Lodge for their gorgeous lounge, beautiful grounds, and relaxing atmosphere where there was a real sense of community among the guests who return year after year. The rooms themselves were rather dated- perhaps not surprisingly for a historic property - and not particularly sound proof. However, I appreciated that the rooms were quite spacious, which is rare among the older National Park lodges. 

Want to try glacier dew vodka for yourself? If you're in Coram, you can drop into the Glacier Distilling Company for some samples. They also offer tours by advanced online booking. 

Whistling Andy Distillery and the Many Glacier Hotel's Ptarmigan Dining Room

The Many Glacier Hotel, arguably the most beloved hotel in Glacier National Park, is long beloved for its style and beautiful surroundings. It only made sense that I try something as swank and sharp as the hotel itself. That's where the Whistling Andy Distillery in Bigfork, Montana, comes into the picture.

Whistling Andy produces Montana bourbon, sherry, moonshine, vodka, flavored rums, and flavored gins. I was fortunate to try their pear and peppercorn gin, one of the most unusual flavors I've ever had. It, along with almond simple syrup, Prosecco, and fresh cracked pepper, went into the Great Northern Spark cocktail at Many Glacier Hotel's Ptarmigan Dining Room.  I love savory cocktails and this was a delicious, unique combination which I loved. 

For better or worse, I stayed at Many Glacier Hotel and ate at the Ptarmigan Dining Room on the last night of the season. With all guests and staff departing the next day there was a cheerful joie de vivre in the dining room, with some guests playing the piano and the staff twirling each other around the room. On the downside, only a fraction of the usual dinner menu was available as the kitchen cleared out odds and ends. Salads topped with toasted almond and goat cheese and plates of fine Wagyu beef with demi-glace and vegetables were popular choices at our table. I also snagged one of the last pieces of carrot cake to bring back to my room and it was a sneaky victory which I did not regret! (And, yes, once again my favourite travel spork came to my rescue!)

Whether you visit in the middle of the season or at the very end, there aren't enough adjectives to describe the beauty surrounding Many Glacier Hotel. Staying here or even just having a meal here is considered one of the best things to do in Glacier National Park. But if you can't make it to the Many Glacier Hotel,  you can visit Whistling Andy's for a tour, which you can pre-book online, you're in nearby Bigfork.       

By the way, if you're visiting Glacier National Park as part of a mega-parks tour of the area, you have to check out my friend Paula's guide to Yellowstone National Park!                                                                                                                            

Spotted Bear Spirits, Whitefish, Montana

Tasting cocktails in fine National Park lodges is one thing but getting yourself to a distillery to sample them at the source is another experience altogether. Yes, there is a Whitefish distillery! Spotted Bear Spirits produces agave, vodka, gin, coffee liqueur, and limoncello.

You can find Spotted Bear Spirits all around Montana, including at the Belton Chalet by Glacier National Park and at the Tupelo Grille, which is just around the corner. Spotted Bear is a great place to hang out - it's a mix of distillery, tasting room, and one of the best of all the Whitefish Montana bars. It offers a strong list of creative cocktails and a visit here is one of the most fun things to do in Whitefish Mt. Spotted Bear's bottles, with beautifully designed labels, make for some of the best Montana gifts. 

Spotted Bear Spirits and Belton Chalet's Belton Grill Dining Room

Spotted Bear Spirits is a popular brand in restaurants and bars across Western Montana and I had the opportunity to try it while at the Belton Chalet's Belton Grill Dining Room by the west side of Glacier National Park. Their complex and delicious Maiden of the Middle Fork cocktail combined Spotted Bear vodka, lemoncello, strawberries, soda, lemon, and a fir needle simple syrup. I loved this combination of sweet, tart, and savory all in one drink and it was perfectly complimented by the delicious menu at the Belton Grill Dining Room.

Our group started with a charcuterie board, beet salad with melon, toasted hazelnuts, and greens, and a platter of blistered shishito peppers with yogurt dip. On my own, I had an incredible salad of heirloom tomatoes and burrata cheese (look for the little cubes of savory strawberry vinegar gelatin which acted as a salad dressing!) and a main course of grilled rainbow trout with baby turnips, bok choy, and purple lentils.

It was a scrumptious meal in a snug, cozy setting, which is only fitting given its position onsite at the Belton Chalet. This historic property once greeted elegant guests who alighted from the train just outside the hotel, eager to tour Glacier National Park in style. (Yes, there are Amtrack stations in Montana! But this station predates it.) The rooms are old fashioned but quaint, with tiny bathrooms but generous space on the balcony. If I had to choose a favourite combination of cocktail, meal, location, and hotel in Montana, Belton Chalet would be my first pick. Just don't tell the other properties! 

Whistling Andy Distillery and Tupelo Grille, Whitefish

Just around the corner from Spotted Bear Spirits in downtown Whitefish Montana, was a popular restaurant called Tupelo Grille. The Tupelo Grille is one of the best restaurants in downtown Whitefish. They specialize in Cajun cuisine with local ingredients and they have a good cocktail list as well. But when I paid them a visit, it was another product from the Whistling Andy Distillery which tempted me instead of something from Spotted Bear!
 
Tupelo Grille's Jungle Bungalow (a seasonal offering), combined rum from Whistling Andy Distillery with Del Maguey vida mezcal, blackstrap rum, passion fruit, and lime juice. The waiter checked with me several times to make sure it was what I wanted, that I knew what mezcal was like. Um, did it look like I couldn't handle my drink?! (In fairness, perhaps it did....) The drink was exceedingly strong and smokey thanks to the mezcal. It was hard to taste anything else and the passion fruit got lost in the mix. But I was happy to have tried it, if only to say that I had another spirit from Whistling Andy under my belt.

Our group nibbled on roasted Brussels sprouts covered in Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs as well as roasted cauliflower with pickled cucumber in a creamy coconut curry sauce before our mains, which in my case was an arugula salad with pine nuts, fennel, and pecorino followed by halibut with mashed potatoes, chanterelle mushrooms, peas, and greens. I wasn't a fan of the pureed asparagus sauce, which was both runny and cold, but the rest was rich, delicious, and satisfying. It was easy to see how this was one of the best restaurants in Whitefish.

Montgomery Distillery, Missoula, Montana

I couldn't limit my Montana distillery list to just one place. When I had the chance to visit Montgomery Distillery in Missoula, I jumped at the chance. It's no exaggeration to say that the Montgomery Distillery occupies a place of pride among Missoulans. This family run business, the latest in five generations of agriculturally focused Montanans, makes rye, gin, vodka, aquavit, and a single malt.

​Their tasting room doubles as one of the smartest cocktail bars in the city. During my visit, I tried the Damiana Dare Me cocktail, with damiana infused vodka, honey, lemon, orange juice, rosemary, and lemon bitters. I kept it in my hand so I could keep sipping as we did a behind the scenes tour of the distilling process. Public stillroom tours are available at this Missoula distillery every Friday night at 5:00 PM. 

Montgomery Distillery and Plonk Wine, Missoula, Montana

A visit to Plonk Wine, one of the best restaurants in downtown Missoula, Montana, was the perfect opportunity to try another concoction using Montgomery products. The "Cowboy Bebop" is crafted with Montgomery Sudden Wisdom rye, aperol, ginger, lemon. I'm not normally a fan of rye. Let's face it - I'm a lightweight and it's intense for me. But in cocktail form the intensity gave way to layers of flavor and it was a nice balance to salty appetizers, like roasted cauliflower lavender, red wine, burnt caramel, and smoked almonds or heirloom tomatoes with peach, corn puree, panchetta, and butter sauce. While we enjoyed a fantastic dinner expertly paired with wine, I was thrilled to try one last cocktail crafted with local spirits. 

You need to take a bite - and a sip - out of Montana

It somehow seems appropriate to close this post with a photo of a cookie in the shape of Montana, complete with a heart and a big bite taken out of it. More people need to take a bite - and a sip! - out of Western Monana. I'm thrilled that I had the opportunity to sample so many delicious made in Montana spirits, all complemented by delicious feasts in and around Glacier National Park. Cheers!


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