New Helena brewery picks downtown

HELENA – Tagging itself as a “somewhat organized community,” the new Ten Mile Creek Brewery is already finding fans downtown.

“We’re on a system three 26-year-olds could afford. We didn’t have an unlimited budget, but we’re chasing a dream with lots of hard work,” said Ethan Kohoutek, who owns the brewery with Riley Tubbs and Jordan Keltz.

The brewery opened Oct. 23 on Helena’s Last Chance Gulch walking mall.

“It’s been busy,” Kohoutek said. “Helena is a beer-drinkin’ town.”

For a seasonal brew this winter, Ten Mile Creek used coffee roasted just down Last Chance Gulch for a FireTower Coffee Porter, a chocolatey, rich and robust porter. Big Dipper Ice Cream is just a few steps away and has used the brewery’s oatmeal stout in a ice cream. Cielo, a nearby Mexican restaurant, keeps the brewery in chips and salsa.

“We’re working with as many local businesses as we can,” Kohoutek said. “Everyone wins like that. It’s part of building downtown. This walking mall has tons of potential.”

A downtown with two breweries (Blackfoot River Brewing is about four blocks away), bars, restaurants and shops, the scene offers a draw for everyone, he said.

“We want down to be the place Helenians go,” he said. “Between Blackfoot and here, we have seven or eight things to do every night, and that’s great for everyone.”

Blackfoot and Lewis and Clark Brewing Co. were a big help as the young brewers started their venture.

“When the tides rise, all ships go up,” Kohoutek said.

The seasonal beers go fast, Kohoutek said. Besides the coffee porter, this winter the brewery has 16K Winter IPA (9.94 miles or close enough to 10 to fit the theme). The winter IPA is brewed with Montana barley and a three-hop combo.

Always in the rotation are Tree Knocker IPA, 2nd Degree Rye Ale, You Got My Goat Oatmeal Stout and Reginald’s Red Ale. The red ale is Kohoutek’s favorite, though he’s also particularly partial to the oatmeal stout.

“I like them all,” he said. “It’s fun.”

The guys remodeled a historic building downtown on the walking mall. They used beetle-killed trees from MacDonald Pass. The bar and community table are each made from a single tree.

“We recycled five dead trees,” Kohoutek said. “And it looks really cool.”

The brewery’s look is western-industrial, with hardwood floors from the 1920s and correlated metal with a rust patina, the organic lines of the living edge of the bar meets concrete, plus a dose of Montana-cana with an old “Welcome to Montana” highway sign, ski signs and scenic photos.

“We learned woodworking on the fly,” Kohoutek said.

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Kristen Inbody at kinbody@greatfallstribune.com. Follow her on Twitter at @GFTrib_KInbody.

If you go

BREWERY: Ten Mile Creek Brewery

SINCE: 2015

LOCATION: 48 N. Last Chance Gulch, Helena

HOURS: Noon to 8 p.m. daily

TOP BEER: Reginald’s Red Ale

ONLINE: facebook.com/TenMileCreekBrewery

NOTE: Budget enough time to enjoy the neighborhood of downtown Helena. Within a few steps of the brewery is a candy shop, wine bar, ice cream parlor and fancy Italian restaurant.