Brewery a big hit in Columbia Falls

Backslope Brewing in Columbia Falls opened earlier this month. It’s been busy ever since, said co-owner Carla Fisher.

The brewery, owned by Fisher and her husband, Darin, has been in the works for the past two years. The couple bought the brewing vats back in April of 2014 from the defunct Desert Mountain Brewery in the Cosley Building.

Lyle Mitchell owns the building and did a complete remodel of what was once a taxidermy building and then, later, a pawn shop. He said he first bought the vacant lot to the building and then the building itself so there would be enough parking. He then approached the Fishers about putting their brewery and restaurant there. The vision was to mold the corner into a contiguous commercial enterprise. Mitchell owns the State Farm Insurance building next door as well. Mitchell designed the building, in part and architect Richard Smith, a Columbia Falls native, did the final drawings. The building took a little more than a year to remodel. He said the timing was right for a new business in Columbia Falls.

“If you have an idea, you have to step up and do it,” he said. Mitchell credited Freedom Bank President Don Bennett and the bank board for backing the project.

The Fishers own the business and the equipment. The kitchen is run by chefs Becky and Jake Sorensen, former owners of the Palette Cafe. Becky has a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, Oregon. But the menu is modest, with dishes that range from $6 to $14, Fisher noted.

The brewery had a soft opening on March 9, and was packed to the gills with customers.

“We feel extremely supported by the community,” Fisher said. “We haven’t even been open a week. The volume is more than we expected it to be.”

Fisher said they started out with nine employees and now they’re up to 14.

They have eight beers on tap at a time — four standards and four rotators. They’re not distributing — at least for the first year, Carla said. Darin does all the brewing, Carla waits tables and manages the dining room. It’s a family affair.

Darin brewed beer for months before the opening so they’d have enough.

In the first four days, they sold about 200 gallons of beer. The restaurant has an open floor plan and yet is inviting, with photos of Glacier National Park on the walls. Beers run from $4 a glass to $5 to $7 for specialty brews. It’s open Monday through Saturday, 11 to 8 p.m.