Imagine Nation Brewing – Missoula Microbrewery has a new name in its new home

Work began last week on Imagine Nation Brewing’s http://www.imaginenationbrewing.com riverfront location at 1151 West Broadway. Imagine Nation will be the first microbrewery in the country to include an educational center. In this Center for Community Transformation, a team of educators will facilitate ongoing workshops and dialogues to address local and global challenges. This space will also be made available for local groups to conduct their own educational endeavors, in an effort to raise awareness for their causes and for the benefit the greater community.

Before arriving on the new name, the brewery had been known as both Big Medicine Brewing and One Nation Brewing. The owners, Robert Rivers and Fernanda Krum, decided to alter the latter name after corresponding with a Portland-based startup of the same moniker. Rivers remarked, "While it was difficult, we are grateful for the impetus to change to Imagine Nation Brewing because it better reflects the unique nature of our business to be a platform for positive social change initiatives."

Some in Missoula have expressed confusion about the brewery’s status as a non-profit or for-profit. Krum states, "We are not a non-profit. We are a for-profit-for-change company. After 15 years of working for non-profits in war-torn countries, we chose to be a for-profit entity so that we could better support local initiatives–financially and with a unique space–without needing to compete for funding from similar sources. "Getting together over a beer to discuss the issues of the day is a very ‘Missoula thing,’" said Susan Hay Patrick, chief executive officer of United Way of Missoula County. "We’ve been impressed by Robert and Fernanda’s determined efforts to provide a unique space for individuals and groups to find common ground over a good brew." Both managing partners expressed enthusiasm for being surrounded by important non-profits like the Poverello and the YWCA, with whom they can collaborate on joint projects.

The brewery also sold part of its parking lot to the city for a new river recreation project. The design of the project is built around enhancing public river access for the city’s island park and the Max Wave–both of which are scheduled for development within the next two years. Part of the city’s plan for that park includes a bridge that will connect the East end of the shared parking lot to the island, linking river enthusiasts with another opportunity to enjoy local craft beer.

If all goes well, Imagine Nation Brewing is set to open doors towards the end of the year. By that time, it will be Missoula’s seventh brewery. Only 12 more breweries and Missoula will match Bend, Oregon.

Imagine Nation Brewing Co. is a unique combination of microbrewery and center for community transformation. Through expansive beers, a celebratory atmosphere, and community educational endeavors we will address the critical challenges of our time. The purpose of the brewery is also to support people in their own transformation so they are better prepared to authentically connect and positively change the world around them.



Contacts:
Robert Rivers and Fernanda M.B. Krum, Managing Partners: 406-207-0552 /[email protected], 


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