RAND STORYLINES:

Craft Beer’s Fork in the River

The mighty Yellowstone River leaves The Park here near Gardiner, Montana and for the next 18 miles runs through canyons carved into the shoulders of the Gallatin Range and Beartooth Wilderness.  The canyon is steep where the wild river narrows, then opens into a shallow valley before reaching Yankee Jim Canyon.

Each melting season, locals and visitors load into rafts and kayaks to try their hand at a run through the canyon: the Yellowstone River’s biggest whitewater.

Their journey, winding its way through the rugged landscape, is a worthy metaphor for the journey of a craft brewer.  The path to glory is not without its challenges and risks, but those who harness the natural resources, embrace their skills, and trade in preparation and courage are going to find the reward.

As you enter Yankee Jim Canyon the river accelerates rapidly – and the first challenge comes quickly. This rapid, known as “Revenge” is a dangerous wave that’s very hard to avoid, with a deadly hydraulic that habitually flips unwary boats.

This first test sets the stage for the entire day on the Yellowstone where – as in craft brewing –  we’ve got some serious decisions to make and actions to take ahead of us.

The entrance to Revenge looms two-thirds of the way through a field of spirited rollers. Unfortunately, if you find yourself just cruising the rollers, you’re headed for danger and a fight to escape.  As in brewing, sometimes following the natural flow down the middle is the more dangerous route.

Alternatively, many just slide over to the eddies and skate their way down on the softer edges of the river, trying to avoid trouble.

Like the river, the post-pandemic, cost-inflated craft brewing business presents us with some challenging paths: float with the current and risk getting swamped, or try to find some safety in the creative shallows.

Unfortunately that temptation to rafters – to slide to the side and eek-out the journey – has seeped into a crowded craft category. Brewing has become crippled with anxiety, with a hyper-fixation on cost and a creeping reliance on generic ingredients. With that apprehension, innovation has been suffocated under a wave of hesitancy. Conditions have flipped quite a few craft brands into gutless, inspiration-free commodities.

At Montana Craft Malt – that’s not why we got in this boat.

With the right skills, precision, grit and partners pulling together – we won’t be swallowed up by the uncertainty of the craft market. Nor are we going to row to the safest possible side, towards the anonymity of boring beer, only to watch others do epic things.

To navigate the rapids successfully, you have to choose the right line, create your opportunity and embrace the thrill of that moment.  On the other side of that run is a sense of accomplishment, a deeper appreciation for the skill and creativity of seasoned venturers, a renewed devotion Montana’s natural resources, and the enjoyment of those you’ve taken the journey with.

That’s why we chose this boat.

And that’s why we do malt.