While visiting the Black Hills, you’ll notice the area’s rugged terrain and stunning views make for an excellent place to sip on a pint of beer or a glass of wine. And over the years, we’ve established quite the roster of breweries and wineries dotting the Black Hills — all focused on innovation in their craft and excellence in their product.
Let’s take a tour of some of our favorite, tried-and-true breweries and wineries in the Black Hills, from Rapid City to Spearfish!
Are you visiting and you booked a cabin in the central Black Hills? Perfect! All of these mentioned cities are close by and/or worth a daytrip to explore during your stay.
Rapid City, SD
Lost Cabin Beer Co.
Lost Cabin is always buzzing with activity, whether it’s because of the food trucks parked on-site, an event happening, or just an average day, when regulars and newcomers alike bond over delicious beer. This popular brewery specializes in small-batch ales and lagers, barrel aging, and seasonal beers. The energetic, dog-friendly taproom has a rustic outdoor theme and a spacious patio area, perfect for relaxing on a warm day. Regulars recommend the Sodank IPA or the Jackalope Hunter, but if you can’t quite commit, you can order a 4-ounce pour and try several different beers!
Woodland Republic Brewing & Blending
Woodland Republic is a relatively new addition to the Rapid City brewery scene — and we’re so happy they’re here. Known for their inventive sours, this modern brewery is steeped in rustic farmhouse tradition, fermenting their beers in both oak and stainless steel. The team embraces the time-consuming process and unpredictable nature of wild and sour mixed-fermentation beer production in small batches and single barrels. Woodland Republic is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 3–9 p.m. and Saturdays from 12–9 p.m.
Zymurcracy Beer Company
This veteran-owned beer company has a passion for craft beer and the community, living out a mission “to connect people through craft beer.” Their laid-back, welcoming atmosphere provides the ideal environment for connection and fostering community — and drinking some excellent beer. Zymurcracy brews a diverse lineup of beers, from light lagers to Russian Imperial Stouts. Check out what’s on tap!
Cohort Craft Brewery
Cohort Craft Brewery started how any great brewery starts: with a group of like-minded, beer-loving people who spent hours experimenting with brewing techniques at home. Established in 2021, the brewery is situated in their neighborhood on the south side of Rapid City in the new Town Centre South Plaza. Their goal is simple: to produce the best product possible while providing the most inviting customer experience possible. And they have sure succeeded! Cohort beers are progressive and inventive, while paying respect to the traditional styles — and made with local ingredients whenever possible. And they also make mead with locally sourced South Dakota honey! See what’s currently on tap.
BB’s Natural
While it’s not technically a winery, BB’s Natural is a brand new natural wine shop in the heart of Rapid City worth mentioning. Settle into their cozy, quaint shop and order wine by the glass or by the bottle. Then pair your choice with bites from their eclectic food menu, which includes cheeses, meats, veggies, salads, and more light shareable snacks. Or grab a bottle to-go from their “BB’s to go” fridge! Just keep in mind BB’s Natural is only open Wednesday through Saturday from 4–10 p.m. and the kitchen closes at 9:30.
Firehouse Wine Cellars
Firehouse Wine Cellars shares a home with Firehouse Brewing Company in an old firehouse built in 1905, which served as Rapid City’s first fire station (and there are still remnants of the past in the building, including fire poles and antique firefighting equipment!). This tasting room and working winery crafts a variety of wine styles, from oak-aged reds and crisp whites to sweet dessert styles. Plus, they have a selection of artisan flatbread pizzas and cheese boards, expertly paired by an in-house sommelier. Firehouse hosts live entertainment on a regular basis — follow them on Facebook to see what’s coming up!
Hill City, SD
*NEW for 2023!* – Lost Cabin Beer Garden
Lost Cabin is our favorite brewery in the region, and they just opened a new beer garden in Hill City! The location is perfect for a mid-day stop during your visit to the Black Hills — with outdoor seating in the lawn, plenty of shade, outdoor games to keep you and your kids happy, and a rotating list of food trucks almost daily. It’s also conveniently situated next to Tracy Park and the Mickelson Trail. This popular brewery specializes in small-batch ales and lagers, barrel aging, and seasonal beers.
Miner Brewing Company
Miner Brewing Company started with home-brewed beer at a kitchen table and has evolved into a South Dakota staple, with a state-of-the-art brewery and two taproom locations. The Hill City taproom is one of our favorite places to grab a beer (especially since it’s so close to Hinterwood!). Here, you’ll find a selection of year-round favorites and rotating seasonal beers, in addition to seltzers, sours, ciders and meads. There’s plenty of room inside to cozy up on a snowy day or relax on the spacious patio on a warm day, with gorgeous views of the Black Hills. Miner Brewing regularly has food trucks parked on site and has a food menu with select options from the Prairie Berry Winery kitchen (located right next door). See what’s on tap at their Hill City location today!
Prairie Berry Winery
Since its humble beginnings in 1999, Prairie Berry Winery has become one of the most successful wineries in the region, winning more than 1,000 awards for their wines, including the widely acclaimed Red Ass Rhubarb. Prairie Berry is known for their selection of sweet wines, which you can taste for free (up to five tastings) during your visit. Tastings are available daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., by walk-in or reservation. Or you can build your own flight to get a few more ounces of their wines! Their 20,000-square-foot wine production facility has plenty of seating, either in the massive lodge-like interior (with a gift shop!) or out on the outdoor patio accompanied by a spacious lawn.
Firehouse Smokejumper Station
If you liked Firehouse Wine Cellars and/or Brewing Company in Rapid City, you’ll also love their second location: Firehouse Smokejumper Station in Hill City. Here, you can sip wine among the pines on the scenic patio along Spring Creek. And on many Friday and Saturday nights, they host live music and other events. Firehouse Smokejumper Station serves the same internationally awarded wines found at their Rapid City location, including everything from oak-aged reds to crisp white wines. Plus, they serve around 40 unique beer styles, from IPAs to lagers, and of course, their world-famous Smokejumper Stout. Fun Fact: The Firehouse team has been crafting beer in the Black Hills for 30 years, making them the oldest-operating brewery in South Dakota!
Sturgis, SD
Sturgis Brewing Company
Sturgis Brewing Company was formed in 2018 and expanded into their brand new building in 2021. This massive, 19,000-square-foot facility houses their brewery, warehouse, taproom, kitchen and a gift shop. But before Sturgis even came to be, the team started The Knuckle Brewing Company in The Knuckle Saloon in downtown Sturgis. They saw so much success, winning awards and regularly selling out of beer, that they needed to increase production. And thus, Sturgis Brewing Company was born! The new taproom has high ceilings, a cozy fireplace, and doors opening to the airy patio. Relax in the shade of the covered patio or soak up the sun on the grassy lawn — both of which are dog- and kid-friendly!
Belle Joli Winery
In 2000, the wine-loving Jackson family planted their first vines in the heart of Belle Fourche, just northwest of Sturgis. And the rest is history! Belle Joli Winery is now prominently known across the Black Hills region, with two outposts: the state-of-the-art Sparkling House in Sturgis and their tasting room in historic Deadwood. The Sparkling House has an awe-inspiring outdoor patio overlooking the 5-acre vineyard, bordering the majestic ponderosa pines of the rugged Black Hills. Here, you can taste their sparkling wine creations made with traditional champagne methods.
Spearfish, SD
Sawyer Brewing Co.
The four axes on Sawyer Brewing Co.’s logo symbolizes the four generations of loggers in the Eddy family. That’s also how they chose the name Sawyer for their brewery! Run by a husband-and-wife team, this beloved brewery rests along Spearfish Creek, offering exceptional views from the outdoor patio, of both the creek and the green space behind it. Enjoy a wide range of craft beers as well as handcrafted wood-fired pizza at Sawyer Brewing Co.
Crow Peak Brewing Company
Established in the spring of 2007, Crow Peak Brewing was the first brewery in Spearfish, and has attracted quite the following over the years. This member-managed, independent brewery has several year-round offerings, including their 11th Hour IPA, Canyon Cream Ale and Pile O’Dirt Porter, plus a variety of small-batch and one-off styles. Crow Peak has both indoor and outdoor seating, with a two-story covered deck offering unbeatable views.
Spearfish Brewing Company
Spearfish Brewing aims “to brew American beer styles that appeal to all beer drinkers.” This approachable brewery creates beers for domestic light lager and hop-head craft fanatics alike. Brewmaster Nathan Venner has an impressive list of experiences and awards in the industry that led him to his position at Spearfish Brewing. The brewery has South Dakota’s first horizontal lagering tanks and a three-stage reverse osmosis water filtration system, which creates clean award-winning lagers, like the Copper Midge Amber Lager, the Aggressive Goat Bock Lager, and the Venner Beer Premium Light Lager. But there’s always something new and inventive brewing at Spearfish!
Cheers!
Enjoy your time sipping your way through the Black Hills. Let us know which one(s) you visited!
