Carters Brewing

Best brewery in MT… But also possibly the smallest. Whoever the brewmaster is definitely understands hops. Ghost Train IPA is a personal favorite. Billings has many great breweries, but this is the best.

Amazing selection of beers brewed in house on tap. Fill growlers here weekly. Staff is friendly and the wait is very minimal even when super busy. Popcorn is always good when sipping a beer. Great local brewery.

Beer drinkers unite. Brewery in the raw for sure. Great beers don’t always need fancy dressing. Here is a variety of styles great examples of each. The Rye, was a killer. Thank-​you for the memories.

Carters is the best brewery in Billings, and possibly Montana. Mike, the owner, seriously has a passion for beer and it shows. There are 16 taps that serve up the most varied, full-​bodied and well balanced beer I’ve ever had. He is constantly brewing new beer styles you can’t find anywhere else in Montana. The tasting room is cozy and you’re bound to strike up a conversation with one of the regulars. You can order food in from the BBQ place across the street or anywhere you please. There is free popcorn in the tasting room. Kid friendly, there is juice or root beer for them as well as a stack of games and cards for people to play. I highly recommend. I dream of drinking the sour Brown Ale again. :)

A small (usually crowded) microbrewery with good beer. A great place to go for a beer or two. The only down side is the lack of food (unless you consider a popcorn maker food) and the hours (closing at 8pm). But, for a good beer or two, great place to stop in for a taste.

A true beer lovers brewery. They have a plethora of styles to satisfy everyone’s palette. It was simply one of the best breweries that I’ve ever visited. The scene is understated and you feel like you are having drinks right where the brewing happens. Billings is one of my least favorite Montana towns but I’ll be back just to visit Carters.

Really good beer, and the popcorn is on point as well! But get the triple IPA!!! I think it was called ghost train

Loved the beer and the environment. A great chill place to hang out.

Great beer! Small space (it is a tasting room), but worth a look. I’ll be coming back here.

Great low-​key brew-​pub. Don’t confuse low-​key with empty seats, though. Best get here early for a good seat on any given day. Mike the brewmaster is supremely knowledgeable in his craft, and his only focus seems to be on brewing masterful beers. He is usually available — and happy– to talk about his product and the intricacies that make his beer the best, well, anywhere. All the gals that manage the counter are also very knowledgeable in the menu– and super friendly. A wide variety of beer to suit any aficionado or casual good-​timer, I don’t see how you could do any better in a brew-​pub.

i can’t offer a comprehensive review because i was only in for one beer, but i can say that the ghost train ipa was tasty and drinkable. i really liked the rugged exterior and the interior was hodge podge in a way that gave it personality. the service was real. you know, none of that fake smile business that you get nowadays. a fun place to throw a couple back, especially if you like trains.

I’ll give them three stars. Their beer was definitely drinkable, but very light on all fronts, I’ll explain…
They have a great variety of beers, however, the style varies little. While they try to brew different varieties of beer and have catchy names, their actual taste and character don’t necessarily match each particular style.
Their IPA and Imperial IPA resemble an IPA very poorly. I did like the Ghost Train, but it was not the imperial IPA taste I was expecting. There is very little body and residual sugar in the beers that I had (those two IPAs, the porter the citrus ale and the cask-​conditioned brown).
I’ve spent a lot of time in the Northwest and when I here of a cask beer, I think of them hand-​pumping it into the glass. This place simply let it run out of a metal keg laid sideways…
I liked drinking their beers, but like I said, the four that I had all fell in the same category — relatively boring beers with not much character.
I stopped in to Überbrew and had an IPA which was more enjoyable (and a Reuben dog, which was tasty)!
No food at this joint and the popcorn machine was down for the count.

For a quick snap shot — good local brews with friendly casual atmosphere. The only reason I’m giving this place 4 (instead of 5) is because of the beers that I tried, all had a very metallic taste. In general, the flavors were great and well balanced, but it definitely suffered from a little too much steel in the aftertaste.
That being said, I could easily drink more than one of these beers. As I said, they had a great flavor, and besides the small taste of steel, each one I had (dark or light) was full bodied and flavorful. I am not a Montana-​native (just passing through) so I was looking for a good place to try local brew. This was a great local for just that. The wait staff was incredibly friendly and the selection (which clearly rotated) was seasonally appropriate while still being varied. My general complaint with microbrews (as a whole) is that there are way too many IPAs (or just an island of hops) but this place seemed to have a pretty good mix. Due to Montana liquor laws, you can only have three drinks per person, but if I am back in Billings, I would definitely consider getting a growler of the seasonal beer.
In general, I definitely think this is a good place to stop if you are a Montana native or just a passerby.

Hands down my favorite brewery in Billings, but probably even MT. Carters does everything I want to see in a brewery, even if that brewery lives in Billings, MT.
There about flagship beers, but Carters always has a LOT of additional taps flowing. They do a great job of trying new styles and have recently been doing amazing Belgian beers and Sours. One of my all time favorite beers was a Belgian from Carters (strong, dark, I think). I can’t say enough about a brewery that isn’t afraid to constantly try new things and doesn’t stick to safe beers.
The brewery itself is super small, which does suck once the place fills up, but that’s not even enough to subtract a star. The patio is a great escape in the Summer months.

I have been here several times, just now getting around to reviewing the place. This is a small brewery located right by the railroad, and all but connected to the Railyard Ale House. A dimly lit building with a small bar directly in back that you order from. A chalk board has the current offerings available, some high top tables scattered, and and area to sit at out side. Very relaxing.
I really enjoyed the beer. Always a host of beers being rotated in and out. Black Magic Porter, De-​Railed IPA, and a Farmhouse Ale being the big hitters with me. They also rotate in various other Belgian and American styles often. I always seem to miss Saison De Carter, which I have heard great things about. Got to love the selection and quality here.
The downfall (if you can call it that) is that the place gets packed quickly, and because of Montana’s beer laws you can only have three beers per day. The hours that the brewery can be open are also strictly regulated. So come right when they open the doors if you can. Otherwise a great place to get a few beers.

If anyone ever asked me to name one thing Billings does as well, if not better, than any other place in the states? My answer would be brewing beer… and Carters Brewing would be at the top of my list of favorites.
From the atmosphere, which still manages to feel as comfortable as sitting in your own home enjoying a brew, while still allowing for plenty of seating for you and dozens upon dozens of your best drinking friends. To the beer… oh, the beer… which I will put up against anyone’s best offerings found across this beer crazed nation, this is my go-​to place for ale.
While i’ve enjoyed sampling all of the regular, and many of the seasonal crafts, I always come back to my personal favorite, Boxcar Brown Ale. A nice, creamy head that finishes over a beautiful dark brown liquid, this beer features plenty of «hoppiness» along with its rich malt, and hint of chocolate flavors that compliment the overall smoothness of this fantastic libation. Please… save me a bottle.

Best microbrewery in town. Mike likes Belgian-​influenced beers. Some are super-​hoppy, others are mild and delicious. He brews award-​winning and superbly tasty beers. His style, evidenced by the environment and beer selection exudes all the character and attitude of what it means to be a true, historical microbrewery.
The vibe is loud with great textures and people. Also the only place that gives you oil to put on your popcorn.

Easily the best microbrewery in Billings, and definitely the best place that we went to in Billings overall. The beer is excellent, and their variations on standard beers rivals anything that you’ll get in the Denver area.
The atmosphere is great, although a bit small they still have some booths and tables. The bartender was really nice, and answered any and all questions that we had about their beers. They’re right by the railroad, so they use taster sets with a railroad nail in them, which is a fun touch.
If you only have a short time in Billings, this place should be at the top of your list.

LOVED the chill atmosphere and funky railroad décor. I recommend the sampler. We had 4 samples for $ 3. This is surely the most outrageous price for such high quality beer!
As someone who wasn’t a huge fan of Montana, this was it’s redeeming feature!

Great environment, awesome Imperial Stout for $ 4, boyfriend liked the IPAs, I’m probably going to have to go back for a growler.
They do have limited hours, as mentioned by Bitter M., but that’s because of law (as far as I know) regarding Microbreweries. The others around town (like Angry Hanks) that are just breweries and not restaurants are only open from 4 – 8.
The staff is great at this place and very helpful if you don’t know much about Billings. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a delicious beer in a quintessential Montana bar environment (minus the casino.).