USA, SD: Obscure Brewing to close after five years in business

Obscure Brewing, a casual east Sioux Falls brewery, is closing on Dec. 28 after five years, according to a Facebook post on Saturday, December 14, Argus Leader reported.

The announcement states closing was a “difficult” decision to make after “much thought and reflection,” and that more details will be shared at a later time.

The brewery, at 5200 E. Grant St. next to Digz Volleyball and close to Dawley Farm Village, began construction in summer 2018 and opened the following year.

The 6,254-square-foot facility features seating for 105 total and a 15-barrel brewing system and a large outdoor patio. Craft beer enthusiasts can choose from a wide selection of 18 brews, and made-to-order pizza and appetizers.

Owner Don Choate said he wanted to open the brewery on the east side of Sioux Falls, given many of the city’s breweries reside downtown.

Obscure Brewing is the realization of Choate's dream. It's a goal he had worked toward for nearly two decades as a hobbyist and homebrewer, according to previous Argus Leader reporting.

The name Obscure references “Jude the Obscure,” a novel by Thomas Hardy that tells the tale of a working-class man who dreams of becoming a scholar and making something of himself. This aspect of the novel resonated with Obscure Brewing in that the main character’s “resilience under duress inspired us despite the occasional setback,” according to an excerpt from Experience Sioux Falls.

The brewery temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 but continued to sell crowler fills, merch and gift cards.

Previous co-owner Mike Nussbaum said Monday that Obscure Brewing had been for sale for two years.

According to an April 2018 article from Dakota News Now, Nussbaum was the main brewer at Obscure before leaving to own and operate one of the newest Sioux Falls breweries, Altered Species Ales, on the south side of the Western Mall. Altered Species opened in September last year and released its own three beers Wednesday.

Both Choate and Nussbaum also previously worked as bartenders at Monk’s Ale House, which recently confirmed new ownership on Wednesday.

“Thank you for all your support over the years,” Choate wrote in Obscure Brewing’s Facebook post. “It has meant the world to me.”

16 December, 2024