ACROSS THE GLOBE.
TAKE PKG: 2:48 OC:SOC
(TAKE PKG)
OUTCUE= SOC
(SUPER : )
MAX PIGMAN SAYS, "WHEN YOU FIRST
START TO MASH IN - AND THAT'S
WHERE
YOU'RE TAKING THE MALTED BARLEY
AND YOU'VE GROUND IT UP AND YOU
MIX IT WITH WATER IN WHAT'S
CALLED THE MASH TUN OR THE
LAUTER TUN - THE SMELLS THAT
THAT GENERATES IN THE MORNING
ARE SOMETHING THAT EVEN TO THIS
DAY I STILL JUST WALK THROUGH
THE
BREWRY AND STOP AND TAKE A BIG
WIFF AND SAY "THIS IS WHY I DO
WHAT I
DO"
LEWIS AND CLARK BREWERY OWNER
MAX PIGMAN TOOK OVER SLEEPING
GIANT BREWERY 16 YEARS AGO,
RENAMING IT LEWIS AND CLARK
AFTER
THE COUNTY AND THE FAMOUS
EXPLORERS.
BUT...HIS INTEREST IN BREWING
STARTED OUTSIDE U-S BORDERS. MAX
PIGMAN SAYS, "I WAS STATIONED IN
THE MILITARY. I WAS OVER IN THE
AIR FORCE IN JAPAN. I HAD A HARD
TIME FINDING GOOD BEERS.
I STARTED HOMEBREWING IN HELENA
AND THAT'S WHERE IT
ALL CAME FROM."
WHAT STARTED AT HOME HAS GROWN
INTO A SPRAWLING FACTORY WITH
STATE OF THE ART
EQUIPMENT...PUMPI NG OUT SOME OF
LEWIS AND CLARK'S MOST POPULAR
BREWS...
LIKE MINER'S GOLD AND PRICKLY
PEAR PALE ALE.
NAT- "THE BEST THING ABOUT IT IS
THE QUALITY" AS CRAFT BREWING
TOOK OFF, LEWIS AND CLARK RODE
THE WAVE. SWITCHING FROM BOTTLES
TO CANS...AND SEEING DRAMATIC
INCREASES IN SALES.
LAST YEAR, THE BREWERY ADDED A 9
MILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION,
INCREASING PRODUCTION 6 TIMES
OVER.
JACOB FUHRER SAYS, "NOW THE
SUMMER MONTHS ARE VERY
IMPORTANT TO LEWIS AND CLARK.
IT'S WHEN THEY DO ABOUT FIFTY
PERCENT OF THEIR BUSINESS.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, ALL OF
THESE KEGS RIGHT HERE ARE EMPTY.
THEY'VE COME BACK FROM
RESTAURANTS AROUND MONTANA
IN JUST THE LAST TWO WEEKS"
BUT AS THE SCALE INCREASES, THE
FAMILIAR TASTE - MAX ASSURES US
-
STAYS THE SAME.
THE BREWERY TOOK HOPE MULTIPLE
AWARDS RECENTLY AT A
COMPETITION IN DENVER.
THREE OF THE MEDALING BEERS WERE
MADE IN THE EXPANDED BREWERY.
MAX PIGMAN SAYS, "THE BEER THAT
WE'RE PUTTING OUT AT THIS POINT
REALLY HAS THE QUALITY THAT THE
JUDGES ARE SAYING 'HEY THIS IS
REALLY GOOD BEER'"
WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? PIGMAN
POINTS TO MONTANA'S AMBER
WAVES OF GRAIN.
MAX SAYS, "BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE
SOME OF THE BEST MALTED BARLEY
IN
THE WORLD WHICH IS GROWN JUST
NORTH OF US IN THE GOLDEN
TRIANGLE AND MALTED JUST NORTH
OF US UP JUST ABOVE GREAT
FALLS THERE IS A HUGE ADVANTAGE
FOR US."
PIGMAN FINDS OTHER WAYS TO DRAW
IN CUSTOMERS IN
WHAT'S BECOMING A CROWDED CRAFT
BREWING SCENE.
MAX SAYS, "WE'VE GOT A NEW
SEASONAL BEER THAT COMES OUT
ABOUT EVERY SIX WEEKS NOW"
THIS MONTH, A SEASONAL PUMPKIN
BREW ENTICES
CUSTOMERS.
RECENTLY PIGMAN ALSO ALLOWED
CUSTOMERS TO START BUYING
BEER WITH THE DIGITAL CURRENCY
BITCOIN. ANYTHING TO KEEP THINGS
FRESH...A STRATEGY THAT'S PAYING
OFF.
MAX SAYS, "HERE WE ARE ALMOST 17
YEARS LATER AND IT'S BEYOND MY
WILDEST DREAMS AND IT'S REALLY A
BLESSING"
JACOB FUHRER SAYS, "AS FOR
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BREWERY -
WELL IT MIGHT BE INTERNATIONAL.
MAX SAYS HE'S ALREADY TRAVELED
TO JAPAN TO TALK WITH SOME
INTERESTED CLIENTS. REPORTING
FROM HELENA, JACOB FUHRER, MTN
NEWS."




ON CAMERA TAG
LEWIS AND CLARK CURRENTLY
DISTRIBUTES TO ALL OF MONTANA,
IDAHO, AND EASTERN WASHINGTON,
AND SOON WILL BE
AVAILABLE IN WYOMING.
###
