The Lander
Snake River Brewery located in the newly renovated “Cowfish” building,
brings quality and ambience to Lander like never before. It is
a stand-alone facility that brews and serves some of the best suds
in the West. Since opening it’s doors and turning on its
tanks 2 years ago, the small upstart brewery has been awarded 6
medals at national brewing contests.
In 2004 it received international
honors with a gold medal in “Category
6 American-Style Rye Ale or Lager” for Rockchuck Rye at the World Beer
Cup. The World Beer Cup is referred to as The Olympics of Beer Competitions
because of its prestigious awards philosophy and panel of expert judges from
around the
world. This year there were 1,566 entries from 393 breweries in 40 different
countries.
The idea and creation of the brewery was that of entrepreneur, Jim Mitchell..
He hatched the idea one night while sipping a micro-brew at the Snake River Brewery
in Jackson, and the next day approached the owner to see if he was interested
in expanding. The rest is history.
In the fall of 2001 Mitchell purchased
the historic “Sweetwater” building
located on Main Street in downtown Lander. It was a building that had
always been in his peripheral vision, as it is located next
to the Lander Bar
and Gannett Grill which Mitchell owns and operates. He formed
a joint-venture
arrangement with Jackson Snake River Brewery, and they set about looking
for equipment
and
a brewer.
A local resident, Paul Granthem was hired to be head brewmaster in the
Spring of 2002. He studied and worked side by side with the Jackson brewer,
who notably, has been twice awarded “Brewmaster of the Year” at
the Great American Brew Festival in Denver. Some of the recipes they
concocted were the same as the Jackson beers, and some were made with
a special twist that can only be accommodated by a brewery of the size
and scale of the Lander operation. As a result, the Lander brewery has
out-done many of the older and more established breweries in the country.
Some say, the secret is in the local water from this town located at
the base of the Wind River mountain range.
| 
You can
eat where they brew the beer.
The interior of the
brewery is a blend of sleek modern, and historical brick. Together,
and with the
backdrop of the steel tanks, a striking, yet comfortable atmosphere
is created. A full menu and a creative Children’s Menu
is available from the Cowfish restaurant located through the
old french doors and across the hall. The entire establishment
is non-smoking.
If you are ever in the Brewpub and spot
the brewmaster poking around, turning dials and stirring the
tanks with his wooden paddle, ask him for a tour of the brewery.
You will be sure to come away with a new appreciation for a beverage
that has been around for over a millenia, and will be surprised
that this tiny town in the south-western part of Wyoming has
such world class taste.
Climbers
Festival | Gold Rush Days Information
on Lander
Lander Attractions
Microbrewery | Oregon
Trail Pageant of the
Old West
Sinks Canyon State Park
South Pass City
|
