CANYON FERRY BREWING COMPANY
& TAPROOM
Our Story
Tadd fuhrman & kelli gibbs
For Kelli, Canyon Ferry Brewing is a homecoming. She grew up in Townsend and graduated from Broadwater High School in 1999 before heading to the University of Montana—Go Griz!—where she earned a degree in Health & Human Performance in 2003. Her education later took her to the University of Georgia for a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology and to South University in Savannah, where she earned her Physician Assistant degree.
Tadd is a fourth-generation Montanan from Opheim and a fellow University of Montana graduate, with a degree in Business Management and Marketing.
The idea for Canyon Ferry Brewing began where many good ideas do—over great beer and great food. As Kelli and Tadd traveled, they made a point of seeking out local craft breweries and restaurants. Tadd’s passion for craft beer paired naturally with Kelli’s talent for developing recipes, and before long, the idea of opening a brewery of their own began to take shape.
They turned that idea into a plan through brewing courses at Portland State University and hands-on experience during an internship at Imagine Nation Brewing in Missoula. Eventually, that plan brought Kelli back home to Townsend.
Even the name has hometown roots. Canyon Ferry Brewing was inspired by the view of Canyon Ferry from the “flats” that Kelli grew up with—a familiar Montana landscape that helped shape both the brewery’s name and its sense of place.
Today, Canyon Ferry Brewing brings together their love of craft beer, Montana, and community in the town where Kelli’s story began.
INLOVING MEMORY
TADD RICHARD FUHRMAN
July 26, 1980 – May 5, 2026
Canyon Ferry Brewing will always carry the spirit of Tadd Fuhrman, beloved husband, father, friend, and co-founder of the brewery.
Tadd had a gift for making people laugh and making strangers feel like friends. Quick-witted, irreverent, and always ready with a nickname or a joke, he loved his family, football, golf, 90s country music, The Simpsons, his dogs, and—of course—a really good craft beer.
Tadd passed away on May 5, 2026, at just 45 years old. His absence is deeply felt, but what he helped build lives on in his family, the friendships he made, the laughter he inspired, and every person who walks through the doors of Canyon Ferry Brewing.
So when you raise a glass here, raise one for Tadd. He’ll always be part of this place.
