Bars in Missoula

Bayern Brewing is Montana's oldest microbrewery — a Missoula institution producing outstanding German-style lagers and ales in the heart of Big Sky Country since 1987. Bayern's extraordinary commitment to traditional German brewing methods (lagers fermented at cold temperatures in the shadow of the Bitterroot Mountains) and its role in establishing Missoula as Montana's craft brewing capital create a brewery taproom of genuine Montana brewing historical significance.

Imagine Nation Brewing is Missoula's most community-focused craft brewery — a south-side taproom producing outstanding Montana-crafted beers while genuinely investing in Missoula's community and environmental causes. Montana's extraordinary outdoor recreation culture creates beer drinkers with unusually strong preferences for beers that reflect the state's wild character, and Imagine Nation serves that market with genuine authenticity.

Jay's Upstairs is Missoula's beloved second-floor lounge and live music bar — an intimate room above downtown that books jazz, acoustic, and experimental music acts for a devoted Missoula audience seeking something more adventurous than the typical bar band experience. The venue's intimate 150-person capacity and commitment to listening-room quality programming have established it as a cultural institution in a city that takes its music unusually seriously for its size.

Sean Kelly's is Missoula's most beloved Irish pub — serving the University of Montana community with exceptional Irish whiskey, craft beers, and live music in an authentic pub atmosphere. Missoula's extraordinary literary culture (home to the University of Montana's celebrated creative writing MFA program and the Richard Hugo House tradition) creates a bar culture that values authentic gathering spaces for conversation and community.

Top Hat Lounge is Missoula's legendary live music bar — a Front Street institution since 1935 that books blues, country, rock, and Americana acts every weekend in a cozy, dimly lit room with the spirit of an authentic American roadhouse. As the hometown bar for the University of Montana's enormous outdoor recreation and arts-focused student body, Top Hat represents the best of Missoula's laid-back cultural identity.