Glacier Country, Montana— At first glance, Montana may not seem like a hot dining and drinking destination. But we're happy to report that we have incredible restaurants, hopping breweries and sophisticated distilleries that utilize locally sourced products to serve up a bevy of mouth-watering offerings.

“One of the elements about Montana that always stuns our visitors is our food scene,” said Debbie Picard, tourism sales manager for Glacier Country Tourism. “We regularly welcome tour operators, media and travelers from around the world, with all of them saying how impressed—and surprised—they are with the food.”

Montana's culinary scene is comprised of fresh farm-to-fork dishes, tasty steaks, local-centric pizza (with toppings that include Morel mushrooms and Flathead cherries) and thoughtfully constructed cuisine that draws inspiration from local products and surroundings. 

One example: Chef Andy Blanton. A three-time nominee for the James Beard Awards—Blanton owns and operates Café Kandahar in Whitefish, where he focuses on incorporating Montana cuisine like yak, bison, elk and mushrooms into his sophisticated dishes.

In addition, visitors to the region will notice abundant huckleberry-filled delights in the form of ice cream, jam, cocktails, cookies and even BBQ sauce. Huckleberries grow wild in the mountains of Montana and the dark purple berry is used is many dishes and drinks.

Meanwhile, the brewery scene in Glacier Country continues to grow with breweries taking root throughout the region. Currently, Western Montana is home to 23 breweries that effortlessly capture the taste and flavors of Montana with beer like Moose Drool, Cold Smoke, Snowslip Stout and Going to the Sun IPA.

Western Montana is also home to eight wineries and eight distilleries, with many of them sourcing Montana-raised grains, fruit and honey to create their spirits.

For more on tasting Montana, visit www.glaciermt.com. For story ideas and information on Western Montana's dining and drinking offerings, visit our online press room at www.glaciermt.com/pressroom.

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