A Favorite Missoula Taphouse is for Sale After 27 Years
Are you one of those people that are intrigued by numbers and random coincidences? I'm always looking at my iPhone when it says 9:41 - the same time Apple always shows their products having in their marketing photos! It's never 9:43 or 9:39 when I glance at it! There's a conspiracy at play I tell you! And here's another number for you. 27. Last week we got word of El Cazador closing its downtown location after almost 27 years. And now, another beloved Missoula business of 27 years is making some serious headlines.
The KettleHouse taproom on Myrtle Street is for sale
It's crazy to look back and see that it was just about a year ago when KettleHouse Brewing closed its northside location. Of course, that was largely due to the effects of the pandemic. Now it looks like changes are coming to the Myrtle Street Taphouse as an article in the Missoulian says the business needs to be sold. This doesn't seem to be COVID-related, but rather the result of the owner's passing mixed with Montana liquor licensing laws, as KettleHouse co-founder Tim O'Leary tells the Missoulian.
Complicated Montana liquor licensing laws and our personal situation prohibits us from keeping this license in our family.
Keeping it in the KettleHouse family?
There is some good news if you're a fan of tipping back a Cold Smoke, or any other beverage, at the taproom on Myrtle Street. Just because it's for sale doesn't mean the end is necessarily near. The plan is to give current and former employees the first crack at purchasing the business. That would be pretty cool if an individual or group of people were able to make it happen and keep the KettleHouse tradition going. If not, other potential buyers will be able to make offers.
The business hasn't been officially listed yet so maybe that's good news as far as the possibility of it staying with a current or former KettleHouse employee. While we wait to see what the future holds with the Myrtle Street location, it appears to be business as usual with the taproom in Bonner next to the KettleHouse Amphitheater.