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Maria Naranjo sits at a table with her husband, Raymond Miller, at the couple's brewery, Vizsla Brewing, Dec. 13 in Havre. Naranjo and Miller opened the brewery in the Holiday Village Mall in October.
Raymond Miller talks about the brewhouse at Vizsla Brewing, Thursday, December 13, 2018 in Havre, Mont. Miller has lived in Havre with his wife, Maria Naranjo, since 2015.
One of the brewhouse tanks bares the Vizsla Brewing logo Thursday, December 13, 2018 in Havre, Mont. Most of the brewing equipment at the brewery features the logo.
Raymond Miller pours a small saison Thursday, December 13, 2018 in Havre, Mont. The Bishon Saison is one of the brewery's most popular beers.
Growlers with the Vizsla Brewing logo are on display at the bar, Thursday, December 13, 2018 in Havre, Mont.
Raymond Miller enters the walk-in cooler Thursday, December 13, 2018 in Havre, Mont. The 10-foot high cooler is one of the only pieces of equipment that was not purchased new.
A dream has turned into reality for Vizsla Brewing owners Raymond Miller and his wife Maria Naranjo.
The couple opened Vizsla Brewing in the Holiday Village Mall.
The brewery is open seven-days-a-week in the Holiday Village Mall, 4 tp 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
The brewery is named after a Hungarian hunting dog.
"It's a small little red non shedding dog called Vizsla," Miller said. "It is known as the cleanest dog in the dog world."
Both Miller and Naranjo are dog lovers and have a couple of dogs themselves.
Along with its beers, Vizsla Brewery also has food platter for customers so snack on.
Naranjo said the goal of the appetizer platters is to pair with the beer.
"So we have a couple of appetizer platters that go better with lighter beers and another platter that goes better with the darker, sweeter beers," she said.
Miller said they have eight different beers on tap. He added that he started brewing in the beginning of October, from the minute they got their brewing license.
Naranjo was raised in Los Angeles and worked in San Diego, Calfornia, for 20 years. Miller was raised in Texas and moved to San Diego, where he met Naranjo.
In 2015 they moved to Havre.
Miller became interested in brewing beer before they came to Montana, he said. He added that he later decided that brewing was what he wanted to do after he retired
He added that he figured that if they did not open a brewery this year, there was a high possibility the chance would be gone.
He said he first began brewing privately in 2014.
Naranjo said Miller started brewing quite a bit after moving to Havre.
Miller said he brews all the beer himself, with the occasional friend coming by to help if needed.
He said Vizsla gets its malt from Wisconsin, although he is working with a Montana malt producer. They are going to purchase some from that producer, Miller said, so they can do all-Montana brews.
Miller said what is also nice about owning his own business is that he is able to have more of an impact on the community.
"Somebody comes in and asks if you can help out with something you're actually in a position to help out," he said.
He added that is why they get involved with different organizations around down, such as the Pints for Purpose, the volunteer fire department, the local 4-H and the Festival of Trees.
"If you didn't have your own business, especially one as flexible as this, you would not be able to do anything as a private citizen you don't always have the money or have something that you can do to raise money," Miller said. "... The community loves it, helps us out."
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