The owners of the Montana Tap House are aiming to fill a new niche in Whitefish by offering a large selection of beers on tap, while still honoring the roots of the building on Wisconsin Avenue.

“The trend in the beer businesses is these tap houses where you can experience several different beers — microbrews and domestic beer,” said Dale Reisch, co-owner. “That’s really the wave of the future and we wanted to respond to that.”

The restaurant and bar offers 58 drinks, beer and wine on tap along with non-alcoholic beverages, in a relaxed family-atmosphere. The Tap House building itself was designed to keep the simple Montana feel that was part of two well-remembered restaurants that used to call the building home.

“A lot of people have memories of this as The Place and the Dire Wolf,” said Alan Reisch, co-owner. “We didn’t want to make it into a new modern place that people wouldn’t recognize.”

The Reisch family already owns and operates two Whitefish standbys — the Alpine Market and Markus Foods. Dale’s son Alan and his wife Michelle came on as co-owners of the Tap House.

They turned to the bar’s manager, Ed Docter, who brought forward the concept of a tap house after watching the trend take off in Wisconsin. Docter owns the Tamarack Ski & Lake Shop just down the street. The ski shop now operates a retail space inside the Tap House.

Docter said the offering of beer, coffee and food works well as a compliment for his business.

“We’ve always offered service while you wait,” he said. “People love to get their skis waxed and have a beer or coffee while they wait.”

The list of microbrews on tap have a decidedly Pacific Northwest feel with many of the beers coming out of Montana, Oregon and California. There’s also a handful of imports on the list and a few beers from the East. A small selection of wines are on tap, along with ginger beer and root beer.

“We had a choice of 600 to 700 beers,” Dale said. “We wanted to be Montana-oriented and also have the top quality beers. We’re beginning to think 50 taps is not enough.”

The Tap House will rotate beers seasonly and based on availability, along with letting popularity with the customers dictate what they keep on tap.

“We chose the beer based on what we knew sold,” Alan said. “But we also wanted to try out other good quality beer, and bring in some beer that has limited production and people might not have access to on a regular basis.”

Docter relayed the story of one customer who came in with a group of friends saying he wasn’t a beer drinker. Docter knew that the beers served with nitrogen — which gives way to much smaller bubbles creating a smoother, creamier experience — were the answer to finding a beer the customer would enjoy.

“I poured him a pint of the Sam Adams [White Ale],” Docter said. “He liked it and I said ‘I’m going to change you into a beer drinker.’”

A food menu for lunch and dinner is available with entrées ordered at the bar and prepared next door at the Alpine Market. Chef Kevin Dodd has created a menu featuring salads, sandwiches, street tacos and chicken tenders.

“It’s all made from scratch,” Michelle Reisch said. “It sounds like typical bar food, but it’s not. People are surprised at just how great it tastes.”

The tap room opens at 8 a.m. serving espresso and a lighter menu including muffins and fruit. The early opening also allows patrons to fill their growlers before heading out for a day on the lake or ski slope.

A rock fireplace in the center of the room and along with couches create a cozy atmosphere. The materials were chosen specifically to keep a Montana feel, including the timber lining the walls taken from an ice house once on Whitefish Lake. Many of the boards on the facade were recycled from the building itself. The bar counter is original to building, as well, having just been refinished.

The restaurant seats about 140 people but with tables spaced apart, keeping in mind the cold Montana winters that keep customers wearing heavy coats. While the outside patio lets customers take full advantage of warm Montana summers.

“We wanted to keep it comfortable with the Montana of today, but also give a nod to the past,” Michelle said. “We wanted to bring this place back to life again. We want it to be a family-friendly, relaxed atmosphere.”

The Montana Tap House is located at 845 Wisconsin Ave. Hours are 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. For information call 862-6006 or visit www.montanatap.com.