Tap Handle #781: Bayern

July 08, 2021

Tap Handle #781: Bayern - Trout Slayer

Tap size: 12.5"

Rarity: less than 10 seen; beer/tap retired

Mounting: 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

It would be easy to confuse this tap with the Big Sky tap of the same name: they are both from Montana, both have the same beer name, and both feature a trout as the prominent feature of the tap. However, that is where the similarities end. The Big Sky version has bold, bright colors, a wooden sign, and waves splashing at the bottom of the tap, with the glossy finish giving the entire piece an appropriate "wet" look. This Bayern version is simpler, with muted colors, less sculpted features, the trout attached to the sign at the base (no tail visible), and a semi-gloss finish that gives it an only slightly wet appearance. It's still a nice tap, especially for those who like fishing themes, but it is not the most desirable of the two taps. Aside from the upper trout portion, the Bayern Trout Slayer base contains a sign with the name and logo of the brewery and the name of the beer, as well as the word "Montana"; in a clever design twist, the signage corresponds to the shape of the state of Montana. At the very bottom is a small piece of turned wood that the ferrule is attached to. The entire tap appears to be made of wood, making these hand-crafted items of which no two would be exactly alike. My copy is a bit worn but still displays well. The tap dates back to the 2002 - 2007 period of the brewery; when Trout Slayer was renamed to Dancing Trout in 2007, a new tap was produced and this tap was retired. Although fewer than 10 of these have appeared on the secondary market over the years, the price has been very reasonable.

Bayern Brewing was founded in Missoula, Montana in 1987 by Trudy Schulte, Reinhard Schulte, and Donald Gaumer. Trudy Schulte came from a brewing dynasty in Bavaria and grew up in German brewing culture. The Schultes immigrated to Missoula from Bavaria and soon after opened their bar, restaurant, and brewery on leased property near the train depot in downtown Missoula. Literally translated, Bayern (pronounced Bye-ern) means the German state of Bavaria. The brewery focused on German beer, brewing their lager beers in strict accordance to the German Law of Purity (Reinheitsgebot) of 1516. During the first several years of operation, supplies were difficult to come by, especially yeast. However the Euro was at a lower value than the dollar, making German equipment more accessible and cheaper than American machinery, despite its high quality. Due to Montana state law at the time, Bayern was forced to go through a distributor to transport their own beer from the brewery to their bar and restaurant combo, despite them being right next to each other. Under the law, the brewery could also not be a brewpub.

In 1991, after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany, the Schultes decided to sell the brewery and move back to their homeland, investing instead in East Germany. Jürgen Knöller, a fellow Bavarian who had emigrated to the U.S. with the Schultes in 1987 to become brewmaster, purchased the brewery from the Schultes. Outgrowing its original location, the brewery moved to a larger production facility on the west side of town. Bayern won its first award in 1999, a Silver Medal at the North American Beer Awards, and would go on to win 13 more awards in competitions. In 2007 Bayern began to phase out the name "Trout Slayer" for one of its best-selling beers. The name trademarked and Knöller did not want to continue to pay high licensing fees. He chose the name “Dancing Trout” in order for the beer to reflect his philosophy of environmental preservation. The new Dancing Trout also became the Official Beer Sponsor of Montana's Trout Unlimited with a portion of its sales' profit donated to help preserve trout and their habitat. A new Trout Slayer Ale with a different recipe was released by Big Sky Brewing Co. later that same year.

In 2002, the brewery moved again, this time to their present day location on Montana Street. The new location featured a tap room, beer garden, and a giant chessboard. Windows around the building allowed viewing of the entire brewing system, including the bottling line. The tap room had beer flowing from the cooler through the ceiling to the bar. Bayern Amber was the brewery's flagship beer. In 2010 the brewery invested in a German bottle washing machine to recycle glass bottles, which resulted in 30 to 60 percent of the glass they used to be recycled. Other eco-friendly programs included offering customers a 5 cent discount on every bottle that they return in the cardboard packaging (which is also recycled); cyclists who bike to the brewery can receive a discount; Bayern donates a percentage of Dancing Trout sales to Montana Trout Unlimited; and brewing waste is donated to local farmers as feed for cattle and other animals.

One problem for the brewery was that Montana state law had capped craft brewery production at 10,000 barrels per year. Bayern had to explore ways to grow without producing more than the 10,000 barrel limit. One route they took to increase growth was to open the Edelweiss Bistro on the second floor above the brewery. The bistro serves a variety of authentic German food, such as käsespatzle, curry wurst, schnitzel, and sauerkraut. Keeping with their tradition of sustainability, Knöller sources his beef and pork from humanely-raised local suppliers, free of hormones and antibiotics. Eggs come from local suppliers raising cage-free chickens that are free of growth hormones and antibiotics. Breads, sausages and vegetables are all purchased locally. Fortunately, a bill was passed in 2017 that allowed production limits to be raised to 60,000 barrels per year. This allowed the brewery to increase production, as well as canning their beer for the first time, including a 32 ounce crowler. Bayern is now the oldest brewery in Montana, and currently produces 7 year round beers, with several seasonal and specialty varieties. Many of the hops used in Bayern beers are imported from Germany.

Bayern's Trout Slayer (now called Dancing Trout) was a German Wheat Ale, the filtered version of a true Bavarian Hefeweizen. It was brewed with malted wheat, pale and carmel malt, moderately hopped using the best quality hops from Germany, and was mild with no bitter aftertaste. Back in 1987, it was known as Bayern Light Wheat Ale. In 2002, Light Wheat Ale took on the personality many beer connoisseurs came to know as Trout Slayer Ale. The beer and the name grew in popularity, especially with the outdoor and angling audience.