As South Dakota’s oldest brewery, the Firehouse Brewing Co. has long stood as a pioneer in the local beer scene. The brewery is poised to embark on its next chapter of growth and innovation. Last year, they brought on Head Brewer Mike Beebe. This brings a fresh perspective and a commitment to building on Firehouse’s legacy.
“I arrived in Rapid City from Florida last February with two main goals,” Beebe said. “First, to bring the quality and consistency of Firehouse beer up to the highest possible standards. Secondly, to transition from a brewpub model to a true production brewery capable of distribution on a large scale.”
With Beebe’s guidance, Firehouse Brewing Co. is well on its way to meeting those goals. Take a sneak peek at the exciting things that are taking place at Firehouse as the brewery ventures into another year of pushing the boundaries of flavor and creativity.
A Growing Draft Lineup
If you’ve recently stopped into Firehouse’s downtown brewery, you’ve noticed that their draft lineup has expanded to fifteen beers. The lineup includes newly introduced top sellers like Firehouse Light Lager, The Watch IPA, and Maltese Cross Vienna-Style Lager. Of course, many of the brews that Firehouse is known for are still available. Bell Tower, Smokejumper Stout, Black Hills Brown Ale, and Fire Engine Red are fully remastered and better than ever.
New Specialties and Seasonals Galore
Beyond their core beers, Firehouse Brewing Co. has introduced new specialties and seasonals. Keep an eye out for Pied Du Mont French-Style Saison, Big Horse Double IPA, The Exile Nitro Irish Stout, and their new cult-hit Blazin’ Mango IPA. “Every one of these beers is brewed with the very highest quality ingredients and top-notch, uncompromising technical processes,” Beebe explained. “We want to ensure we’ve got something for every palate.”
Bigger Sips: Now Introducing 16-Ounce Cans
Firehouse has also unveiled a convenient new way to enjoy their brews with the release of their all-new 16-ounce cans. Firehouse fans can now find 4-packs at a growing number of retailers across the Black Hills area. Or, if you’re in the downtown Rapid City area, stop into Firehouse Brewing Co. and grab some from their cooler! The five canned brews are The Watch, Firehouse Light, Bell Tower, Maltese Cross, and Smokejumper Stout. According to Beebe, the introduction marks an exciting milestone for Firehouse. “The can launch was made possible by the implementation of a new canning line that has us primed to grow our distribution footprint massively in 2024,” he said.
More Noteworthy Highlights
The Firehouse Brewing Co. not only stands as a place where you can enjoy great beer, but also as a destination where you can immerse yourself in the craft beer experience. One new addition is helping the brewery achieve that goal: new solid-wood tap handles behind their bar and increasingly seen around town. These handles give Firehouse’s world-class beer a look to match.
Exciting new connections have also been made over the past year. Firehouse’s partnership with the Rapid City Rush is a match made in heaven. The partnership led to the collaborative release of Light the Lamp Lager. The brewery has also partnered with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation to release the Rising Hope Mango Hazy IPA. Sales of this will raise funds in the fight against childhood cancer.
What’s on the Horizon at Firehouse?
“Expect us to continue expanding our distribution, growing across South Dakota and beyond state lines,” Beebe announced. “We’ll be competing and pouring our beer at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver this fall and submitting our beer for top-level competition medals.”
Keep an eye out for Firehouse’s first barrel-aged beers to appear in the coming months, adding another layer of sophistication and creativity to their lineup. And, of course, you can look forward to the seasonal and experimental beers that you’ve come to expect from Firehouse to continue to show up on tap throughout the year.
Visit Firehouse Brewing Co. at 610 Main Street in downtown Rapid City. Hours are Monday – Saturday: 11 AM – 10 PM and Sunday: 11 AM – 9 PM
Written by: Jen Coleman | Originally published at FirehouseBrewing
