Montana and the Testicle Festival

[HemiEd]

We just completed a 3,830 round trip to Montana, a jaw dropping beautiful state. My first time there, if you haven't been you should put it on your list.

On our way back between Missoula and Billings, we saw a huge billboard promoting the "Testicle Festival."

We couldn't believe our eyes and were laughing going down the highway at 90 for a while, curious what it was all about.

Have any of you ever attended?

Having a ball or two http://www.vice.com/read/having-a-ba...e-festival-999

[rockymtnchief]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Great music festival. Who's playing this year that's good?

I can't get Cold Smoke here. Only once a year when my wife's parents drive down from Montana and bring me a few packs. It makes me so sad I can't get it here.

It's tough to find once you get east of Big Timber so I make sure I have plenty.

Wynona is the headliner, but I'm going mainly for The Mavericks, Corb Lund and Mission Mountain Wood band. The owner of Red Ants is a good friend of mine so I'd go no matter who is playing.

[rockymtnchief]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

I can recommend dark beers all day.

I love some Cold Smoke. A similar beer I have been enjoying lately is Mountain Man from the Front brewery in Great Falls. If you haven't tried the Black Ghost Oatmeal Stout from the Madison River Brewing Company, that is also worthwhile. Tartanic is a good Scottish from the Blackfoot in Helena. The Back Country Scottish is worthwhile from the Lewis and Clark Brewery in Helena.

I've had the Back Country and really liked it. I'll have to take notes and try the others. Thanks!

[Lonewolf Ed]

Originally Posted by hometeam

but its a delicacy!

Andrew Zimmern is welcome to my share!

[Nightfyre]

Originally Posted by rockymtnchief

I've had the Back Country and really liked it. I'll have to take notes and try the others. Thanks!

My wife's Aunt lives up in WSS and has played a part in organizing the Red Ants Pants in the past. Small worlds and things.

[rockymtnchief]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

My wife's Aunt lives up in WSS and has played a part in organizing the Red Ants Pants in the past. Small worlds and things.

I was the phone man there for 8 years. I probably know her.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

I can recommend dark beers all day.

I love some Cold Smoke. A similar beer I have been enjoying lately is Mountain Man from the Front brewery in Great Falls. If you haven't tried the Black Ghost Oatmeal Stout from the Madison River Brewing Company, that is also worthwhile. Tartanic is a good Scottish from the Blackfoot in Helena. The Back Country Scottish is worthwhile from the Lewis and Clark Brewery in Helena.

Now that's a good solid beer, but you guys can keep your Cold Smoke.

[Demonpenz]

Montana and Sean Smith at oak park mall?

[srvy]

Originally Posted by ExtremeChief

We call calf nuts mountain oysters, turkey nuts are turkey fries

of course I'm not sure what BK's Chicken Fries are now

Thats how I remember it. My best buddy raises cattle and hogs and farms in Quitman Missouri invited me up every year for this nut cutting extravaganza. He said its quite a feast folks get together for this. Farmers come from around the area mostly his relations in area and the cut the cattle's nuts and the hogs nuts throw them in a 5 gallon bucket of ice. They smear this blue antiseptic where the nuts used to be then pump what looks like a quart of another blue liquid down there gullets its really a process and a lot of work. The woman put together a feedbag for the ages the nuts get fried and the beer and bourbon gets drained. I really could take or leave the fried nut pretty damn rich and tastes to much like innards which it is. I remember that night sleeping on couch bolting upright and actually having pain in my nuts I know it was just a dream but damn sucks to be live stock unless your the bull of the woods.

[srvy]

They used a de-baller that resembled this thing.

[srvy]

The process can be found on youtube for the curious

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by hometeam

Yep.. cant believe they had to drive to Montana to hear about this, when we have one of the nations largest right here in MO~

If you read the OP, it was an observation on a road sign that struck me funny and CP thread worthy. The scenery and family is why I drove that far

Originally Posted by lewdog

HemiEd. Find a Cold Smoke somewhere, made by Kettlehouse Brewing. Thank me later.

I had two of them at sports bar. The beer was awesome, the service was pathetic and the food was worse. Bad choice on my part except for the beer.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

I had two of them at sports bar. The beer was awesome, the service was pathetic and the food was worse. Bad choice on my part except for the beer.

Which bar was this?

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Bwana

Which bar was this?

It was a place called "the Fort" I believe, in Casper, Wyoming where we spent our first night on the trip home. https://www.menuism.com/restaurants/...74/online-menu

I apologize if I made it sound like it was in Montana. In fact, I know the beer I had contained smoke in the name, but could be wrong about it being the beer Lewdog referred to. I believe I had a couple at the golf course in Billings as well, great beer every time.
When I tried to verify with the waitress on my second beer exactly what it was, she was gone. They had neon signs all over the place for Montana beers, I took a picture of one called Madison River brewing company, with a trout in it's logo.

They had an incredible selection of very cold beer, but their staff was overwhelmed with business and I made the mistake of ordering a Philly Cheese steak sandwich.

Probably the worst I have ever had, and the onion rings took so long she had to put them in a "to go" container. It took well over an hour to get our food after we ordered, and my second beer took almost that long to get. My wife had a simple salad, so it wasn't that it was a difficult meal to prepare.

They had a very loud drunk at the bar cheering at every pitch of a bb game which added to the pain of the wait on our food.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

It was a place called "the Fort" I believe, in Casper, Wyoming where we spent our first night on the trip home. https://www.menuism.com/restaurants/...74/online-menu

I apologize if I made it sound like it was in Montana. In fact, I know the beer I had contained smoke in the name, but could be wrong about it being the beer Lewdog referred to. When I tried to verify with the waitress on my second beer exactly what it was, she was gone. They had neon signs all over the place for Montana beers, I took a picture of one called Madison River brewing company, with a trout in it's logo.

They had an incredible selection of very cold beer, but their staff was overwhelmed with business and I made the mistake of ordering a Philly Cheese steak sandwich.

Probably the worst I have ever had, and the onion rings took so long she had to put them in a "to go" container. It took well over an hour to get our food after we ordered, and my second beer took almost that long to get. My wife had a simple salad, so it wasn't that it was a difficult meal to prepare.

They had a very loud drunk at the bar cheering at every pitch of a bb game which added to the pain of the wait on our food.

Ouch!

Next time you're up give me a heads up and like I said, we can go wheeling up at Cooke. You saw some great territory, but nothing approaching the best we have around here. The beer you saw was likely Trout Slayer.

[Bwana]

On a side note, a guy I know that was up on the Stillwater the day after you were up there in the same area and got his ass kicked by a moose. I ran into him at the store and he was hobbling around like he got hit by a train. He ended up with a concussion and some broken ribs. From his story he's lucky to be alive. I asked him if he had a gun and he said no.