This summer we launched a beer that we’ve been dreaming about from the beginning: GRIZ Montana Lager, an officially licensed beer for the University of Montana. The beer hits the shelves today, but in many ways this beer started 24 years ago in the halls of the UM’s business school. It was there, in 1993, that two friends drafted a business plan, pitched it to their co-worker at a local ski shop, and started home brewing in a bathtub. It took 2 more years of recipe experimentation and knocking on doors to scrape together enough money to brew the first beer of Big Sky Brewing Company.

Since 1995, it’s been one heck of a ride. We’ve brewed over 200 million beers, become Montana’s largest brewer, distributed our product in 24 states, won a handful of awards and given over $500,000 back to the charities in the Montana communities that supported us from the beginning.

We’re pleased with what the brewery has become, but honestly not much has changed since our humble beginning. Our original vision to brew world class beers, have as much fun as possible doing it, and to give back to the communities that support us still drives our company’s culture.

This latest beer only strengthens our original dream as college students at the University of Montana. It allows us to celebrate the 125th anniversary of this great institution. It also allows us to give back to the place where it all began.

Here’s to GRIZ Montana Lager, here’s to 125 years of education.