SAWYERBREWINGCO.COM
by Dawn Geertsema
A
FTER MORE THAN A DECADE OF WORKING IN THE LUMBER INDUSTRY AS A FOURTHGENERATION SAWYER, LEE EDDY DECIDED TO OPEN SAWYER BREWING CO. IN 2018 WITH HIS WIFE, ALI, FOR A CHANGE OF PACE. “Every brewer has a passion for drinking and making beers,” he said. “I always wanted to do something different, and I knew that at my age if I waited much longer it’d be hard to find the ambition to do something different.” The taproom has a quaint, cozy cabin feel, feeding into the woodsy origins of the brewery’s namesake. The walls are covered in pictures and some rogue sawblades, but the bar top is the true star. To keep with his roots, Eddy chopped down a lone tree from his grandfather’s farmyard, and the remnants of that tree were made into the place where you can belly up. Behind the bar, there are 12 of Sawyer’s craft beers on tap. And the brewery does more than just quench thirsts. “Obviously our passion is beer, but we do have wood-fired pizza,” said Eddy. “It’s something different—just the aesthetic of the pizza oven.” One of Sawyer’s most popular pizzas is the Potato Pizza, which is pizza topped with white sauce, bacon, garlic mashed potatoes, green onions, and sour cream. “It’s basically a loaded baked potato in pizza form,” he explained. “People love it.” To enjoy the beer and try a new pizza, recline on the back patio with a view. Located in a newer development in Spearfish, Sawyer sits right next to Spearfish Creek. “The back patio seats 50-60 people,” Eddy said, explaining why it’s one of his favorite parts. “It’s a cool setting that people enjoy. It’s pretty relaxing back there.” +
