Our Beers

Amber

  • Alcohol Content: 5.4% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 23
    Color: Amber
    Availability: Year-round

    Package: Draft, Bottle

    Bayern Amber is the beer that started it all in 1987.  The beer that put Bayern on the map and had customers asking for more.  This Marzen style beer has the rich malt flavor you look for in traditional German beers with a smooth balance of hops on the end. The customers quickly referred to it as “Amber Vision”. So get your beer goggles on with Bayern Amber Lager.

Dragon’s Breath

  • Alcohol Content: 6.0% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 18
    Color: Brown
    Availability: Year-round

    Package: Draft, Bottle, 16oz Can

    Dragon's Breath is a Dark Wheat Hefeweizen, otherwise known as a Dunkelweizen. It is mild in taste, unfiltered, and moderately hopped with Hallertauer Perle hops, cold fermented eliminating any harsh aftertaste. This award winning Bavarian classic was brought to America by our German Brewmaster Jurgen. 

Celebration Pilsener

  • Alcohol Content: 5.4% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 45
    Color: Light Golden
    Availability: Limited Release
    Packages: Bottle, Draft

    Bayern Brewing made its debut in 1987 as, then and now, the only German Brewery in the Rocky Mountains and one of the pioneer microbreweries in the country. In 1988, Bayern produced the only fresh German Pilsener that could be found this side of the Atlantic Ocean. It was a light colored beer with 5% ABV and poured with a beautiful creamy head. For our 35th anniversary, we created a new beer that resembles everything that took us to where we are today – a Traditional Pilsener Lager, brewed in strict accordance with the German Law of Purity of 1516. Reformulated for this anniversary, “Festival Pilsener” is brewed with hand selected Pilsener malt, Northern Brewer hops for a noble bitterness and a late addition of Tettnanger and Spalter hops in the brewing process. We promise this new style of Pilsener to be nothing shy of SENSATIONAL!

Dump Truck

  • Alcohol Content: 6.0% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 28
    Color: Light Golden
    Availability: Rafting season (April – August)

    Packages: Draft, Bottles, Cans

    Dump Truck Summer Bock is a slight departure from Bayern Brewing´s usual celebration of Bavarian tradition. Though it is brewed using the old-fashioned decoction mash brewing method, Bayern has created another beer style totally unique in the Northwest. The recipe for this light, unfiltered, lager bock beer uses German sauermalt, organic Montana “Spitz malt”, Pilsener malt, plus three hoppings using Hallertauer Perle and the rare Tettnang aroma hops (both imported from Germany). Dump Truck uses a yeast strain, specially formulated in Germany, to make this beer a rare experience – like the one Jürgen Knöller, Master Brewer and President of Bayern Brewing, had on one of our company rafting trips. He learned (first hand) that a Dump Truck is when the raft flips, depositing all contents not tied down into the raging river. He thought this would make an excellent name for this beer, invoking summer fun and the unexpected: like running a Class VI rapid.

Doppelbock

  • Alcohol Content: 8.4% Alc. by Vol.

    IBU: 23
    Color: Darkest Brown
    Availability: Late October through early Feb. (Superbowl)

    Package: Draft, Bottle

    “Doppel” means double and this beer is double in every way. Bayern Doppelbock became an instant legend when Bayern introduced it in Missoula in December of 1987. Unlike its top-fermenting counterparts, this hearty German dark lager does not have the rough bite of a porter or a stout. Bayern Doppelbock is dark, smooth and has plenty of hops (Saaz & Hallertauer Perle) and malt. It has a starting gravity of 18 degrees Plato. Bayern Doppelbock is available in bottles and on draft from November through February, just in time for the holidays and the coldest months. Please enjoy this festive beer in moderation and leave your car at home if you are planning to celebrate with Doppelbock.

Citra Dump Truck

  • Alcohol Content: 6.0%Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 28
    Color: Light Golden
    Availability: Rafting season (July – August)

    Package: Draft, Bottle (Limited Availability)

    Citra Charged Dump Truck is a spinoff from its big brother Dump Truck Summer Bock.  While still brewed using the old- fashioned German decoction-mashbrewing method (a technique seldom used by American breweries), we add a variety of citrus flavored hops during the maturation process (to extract the noble hop flavors and give the beer an unique refreshing flavor).  

Face Plant

  • Alcohol Content: 7.5% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 18
    Color: Dark Brown
    Availability: Skiing season (Thanksgiving – April)

    Packages: Draft, Bottles, Cans

    Since we brew beer in the Bavarian tradition at Bayern (which means Bavaria in German) our list of beer styles would not be complete without our Face Plant Doppelweizen. This unfiltered Wheat Bock beer is the counterpart to Bayern’s famous Doppelbock Lager and is decoction-brewed, a technique used often in Bavaria but seldom in the US. The recipe uses five types of malt (Wheat, Pilsener, Carmel, Munich and Chocolate), and has an o.g. of > 17 % Plato, producing a stout 7.5 % Alc. by Vol. As with all Bayern wheat beers, Face Plant surprises with its complex flavor. German Hallertauer Perle hops give this hearty bock beer a perfectly balanced sweetness.
    The formulation for this delicate beer came from the Brauerei zum Schiff in Kaufbeuren, Bavaria. Bayern Brewing’s proprietor, Jürgen Knöller, was one of the last of five brewers that brewed this special beer in 1979 before the brewery, which was founded in 1540, sadly closed its doors due to the owner’s passing.
    In fall of 2007, when it became apparent that the crisis of extremely high raw material prices would continue, the Bayern team decided to test the market with a brew that uses a very large amount of energy and raw materials while being the most difficult, labor-intensive, demanding beer that anyone could create. We told our distributors that we would do two brews at 1000 gallons each to see whether the market could handle the premium price that we had to charge due to these factors.
    Our “Super Brew” lasted only a couple of months and then completely sold out.
    So Bayern Brewing continues to brew Face Plant while its popularity continues to grow. Thus Doppelweizen has been revived here in Missoula, Montana, USA. We hope you will enjoy a piece of living beer history and a specialty beer that is truly rare, even in the Northwest’s highly diversified beer landscape.

Groomer

  • Alcohol Content: 5.3% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 23
    Color: Dark Brown
    Availability: Ski season (late fall through early spring)

    Packages: Draft, Bottles, Cans

    Originally brewed in winter of 2011 to help Snowbowl commemorate 50 years in business, this Wintermärzen was intended to just have a few runs. However, by popular demand, Bayern is offering this decoction-mash brew for more ski seasons. Groomer is now hitting the slopes in 12 oz. bottles and cans!

    Bayern does not recommend drinking while skiing, though…you might spill your beer!

Killarney

  • Alcohol Content: 5.7% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 23
    Color: Irish Red
    Availability: Early February through St. Patrick’s Day

    Package: Draft, Bottle

    Brewed for St. Patrick’s Day, Killarney was created to honor the Irish influence on Montana’s culture. Brewed first in February of 1988, before any other American breweries came out with their versions of an Irish Red style beer. Killarney is Jürgen’s invention of the beer style and one of his favorite Bayern beers. It is brewed with two-row Pilsenser, Caramel, Munich, Wheat and German Dunkel malt. Bayern Killarney has an alcohol content of 5.7% Alc. by Vol. (14.2% Plato o.g.) and is available seasonally on draft and in bottles.

Maibock

  • Alcohol Content: 7.0% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 23
    Color: Golden Brown
    Availability: April through May

    Package: Draft, Bottle
    Awards Won: Gold – 2012 US Open Beer Tasting Championship

    Bayern Maibock is the typical Bavarian spring-opener with lots of body and more. The color is golden brown and if you like malt flavor, this is it. Bayern Maibock is very malty and very easy to drink! This beer is brewed with two-row Harrington and Munich malt, has a moderate amount of Hallertauer and Saaz hops and an alcohol content of >6.5% alc. by vol. (starting gravity > 16 degrees Plato o.g.). Bayern Maibock is available in limited quantities on draft and in bottles.

Montana Original Lager

  • Alcohol Content: 5.6% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 25
    Color: Golden
    Availability: Year-round

    Package: Draft, Bottle

    Golden in color, decoction brewed for a sweet malty body, and moderately hopped with German Hallertauer and Tettnang Noble hops. This delightfully easy drinking beer is referred to as a “Helles Lager” in Bavaria and synonymous for Bavarian Beer Culture. Like all good standards they are complex to brew and easy to drink.

    Montana Original Lager is a Helles Lager brewed in strict accordance to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. 

Oktoberfest

  • Alcohol Content: 6.0% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 23
    Color: Dark Brown
    Availability: late August to late October

    Package: Draft, Bottle

    Bayern Oktoberfest is the classic Bavarian Dark Märzen: not too sweet yet malty with a nice hop flavor. This beer is brewed with Pilsener, Munich and German Dunkel malt. The hops for this special brew come straight from the Hallertau region in northern Bavaria and the finishing hops are Saaz from the Czech Republic. Bayern’s fastest selling seasonal specialty beer, this beer is not just called Oktoberfest, it is Oktoberfest beer. It is brewed according to the standards of the Brewers’ Guild of Munich, which was established in 1815 when they brewed this beer for the first time to celebrate the royal wedding of King Ludwig I and Princess Maria Theresia.

Pilsener

  • Alcohol Content: 5.0% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 34
    Color: Golden Blonde
    Availability: Year-round

    Packages: Draft, Bottles, 16oz Cans

    The term “Pilsener” is widely used to describe a number of beers available on the market. According to German criteria for a true Pilsener, however, the vast majority of them would be unrecognizable as such. By this definition, a Pilsener is a lager beer with a light golden color (5-8 color units by European Brewers’ Convention standards), a specific gravity in the 11.5-12.5% Plato range, and a hops content of at least 28 EBUs (European Bitter Units). Most so-called domestic “Pilseners” fall far short in these categories; Bayern Pilsener easily meets all three (6 color units, 12% Plato, 34 EBUs).

    What does all this technical jargon mean? It means you have purchased one of the very few authentic Pilseners brewed in America. Reward yourself by enjoying this beer the way it was meant to be served: pour your cold Bayern Pilsener, in two or three slow steps, into the center of your glass (a fluted or “tulip” glass works best). The thick creamy head (the German term for this is “crown”) and you have just created the mark of a classic Bavarian Pilsener. It is functional, too – the crown holds finely distributed natural carbonation inside the glass and acts as a shelter for this beer’s distinctive, hoppy flavor.

St. Walter Hefeweizen

  • Alcohol Content: 5.4% Alc. by Vol.
    IBU: 18
    Color: Creamy Pale
    Availability: Year-round on draft, seasonally (late May through early Sept.)

    Package: Draft, Bottle

    Walter, Jurgen’s new dog, is an old style short haired St. Bernard like the original 19th century Swiss Alpine rescue dogs. With Walter’s heritage in mind, we reformulated our Hefeweizen to an old style Bavarian Hefeweizen. We are using the original strain of yeast, the heart and soul of this Bavarian-style beer delicacy. It produces a hint of clove aroma and a pronounced fruity flavor profile. Paired with a moderate amount of Halletauer hops, this incredibly drinkable beer resembles a true time capsule of Bavarian brewing. Brewed in strict accordance with the Bavarian Law of Purity of 1516.