Pictured: Janet Boyer
Beer tastes better when it’s enjoyed with friends and family. And it tastes even better when it’s brewed in a way that doesn’t compromise patience, technique or taste. Those are two tenets that the owner of Mt. Rushmore Brewing Company, Janet Boyer, and her team live by. “All of my brewers are very accomplished, very savvy and very dedicated to their craft,” she said. “They are very much Old World brewers.”
Old World brewing techniques involve time, patience, commitment and a refusal to take shortcuts, as Head Brewer Tom Robbins explained. “We sour our beer in the old school Belgian way. A lot of people now are souring beer in the kettle with an agent, but we still let the sour form naturally in wood barrels.”
Tom and his fellow brewers find that these brewing techniques are worth the extra care and skill because it creates flavors that can’t be experienced any other way. And for Tom, these increasingly rare techniques are a way to connect to history and culture, too. “I spent six months in Europe learning these techniques. I have a huge respect for the process and the history behind it.”
The commitment to this hard-earned quality doesn’t just apply to the beer at Mt. Rushmore Brewing Company. “I am blessed to be able to work with a young man by the name Angel Rangel Marin,” Janet said. “He is our Executive Chef, and he brings such a fresh take to our cuisine in all three of our kitchens: Pounding Fathers, the Tap Room and the Barrel Room.” Guests are able to discover a fine dining experience or a beer-centric menu of elevated bar food from these menus. “I love seeing people enjoying our beer and food, but my favorite part of it all is seeing people slow down and visit with each other. Sometimes I’ll even see people connect with a new friend here.”
140 Mount Rushmore Road
Custer, SD 57730